Choosing the right first foods for your child
Here are our five top tips
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As a parent, we know that ensuring nutritious and safe food for your child is your top priority. Providing the right foods is especially important during the first three years of life, when your child grows quickly and needs plenty of energy and nutrients.
For children between 6 months and 3 years, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soft cooked meat, fish, and eggs, are all great options. If your baby is just learning to chew, make sure these first foods are soft and easy to swallow, for example by mashing fruits and vegetables.
And while it’s ideal to provide homecooked meals as often as possible, we also know that when we’re pressed for time or on the go, this may not always be possible. In some situations, packaged first foods such as instant cereals, porridges, puréed foods, pouches, snacks and ready-to-eat meals can be an easy and convenient alternative. But it can be hard to know which of these products are healthy and nutritious choices – especially with so many food products available these days, and so many which promise to be healthy and nutritious.
Here are five top tips that can help you choose the right first foods for your child under 3.
Offer a variety of nutritious food to give your child the best start in life
If your child is under 2 years old, continue to breastfeed as much as your child wants. In addition, offer a variety of complementary food every day to give your child the best chance of getting all the nutrients he or she needs.
Offering a wide variety of fruits and vegetables will ensure your little one gets the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants he or she needs. Be sure to also include protein (milk, dairy, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, or vegetarian sources like tofu, chickpeas, lentils, peas or nuts) in your child’s meals, as well as a little oil or fat for energy.
Choose local, seasonal and traditional foods
Southeast Asia has always had a vibrant culinary culture and a wide variety of healthy traditional meals. Whatever is fresh, locally available and has been traditionally cooked and eaten in your family or culture, is a healthy choice for your child. Remember that when you introduce your child to healthy first foods early in life, you are building healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime.
Avoid first foods that contain high levels of sugar and salt
44 per cent of packaged food products for young children sold in Southeast Asia include added sugars or sweeteners and more than one in three have too much salt.
If you decide to buy packaged foods for your little one, it’s important to read the nutrition labels on the back of product before buying anything - especially to check sugar and salt content.
This is because high sugar intake, especially early in life, can lead to cavities, weight gain, and poor eating habits in later life. A salt-rich diet can increase blood pressure, even in young children, and also affect your child's long-term health and taste preferences.
It’s always best to choose products with zero added sugar. Common added sugars and sweeteners to look out for include sugarcane, sucrose, honey, corn syrup, glucose syrup, fructose, maltose, fruit juice concentrate or powdered fruit juice (with the exception of lemon or lime juice) and sweeteners such as saccharin, acesulfame and aspartame. For salt content, choose products that contain less than 120 mg of salt per 100 grams.
Look out for fruit content as well: in purées made of 100% fruit, naturally occurring sugar can account for more than half of the energy the product provides.
Double-check labels and marketing claims on products
Packaged foods for children aged 6 months to 3 years – from infant cereals and porridges, to purées, pouches, snacks and ready-to-eat meals – are often well marketed and may come with impressive labels and claims.
It can be difficult to know which products are appropriate for children, and which are not. Food manufacturers often label their products as healthy, while at the same time hiding high levels of sugar, salt or fat. These claims can mislead you and impact your child’s health.
Common labels appearing on packaged foods include “all natural”, “good source of vitamins”, and “no artificial ingredients”. Be sure to double check the claims against the ingredient list on the back of product. For example, a product which says it has “no added sugar” may in fact have a significant quantity of artificial sweeteners.
While checking labels, look out for ingredient lists which are short and simple. If you see long lists of ingredients which you do not recognize, reconsider your purchase. A good rule of thumb is to not purchase products whose ingredient lists include items you would not normally find in your kitchen.
Reading ingredient lists and double-checking marketing claims is particularly important in Southeast Asia, where nearly 90 per cent of labels of commercially produced foods for children aged 6 months to 3 years include claims that may be misleading or deceptive. To know more, read the summary report.
Carefully plan and choose snacks
Healthy snacks can add to a child’s nutrient intake while still ensuring your child has appetite for the next meal. Cucumber sticks, wholemeal bread, rice crackers, cubes of cheese, cubed or sliced fruit or bananas are all easy-to-eat and nutritional finger foods for children. You may also want to offer plain yogurt.
If you choose to purchase packaged snacks and finger foods for your child, such as puffs, crackers, melts and similar products, make sure to carefully read the ingredient list, as these can often be highly processed. In Southeast Asia, 72 per cent of these snacks and finger foods contain added sugars and sweeteners. To know more, read (link the summary report).
Ensuring all meals, including such “mini meals,” add nutritional value to your child’s diet can help establish healthy eating habits at an early stage.
For more tips on feeding your baby or toddler, visit UNICEF Parenting Hub.