We all want to give our babies the best start in life, and that includes providing them with a healthy and varied diet.
We know what you’re thinking. Every time you offer a healthy new food, your baby spits it out all over their freshly cleaned bib. Sure, spit ups or funny faces might happen, but stay with it!
Although there are so many uncertainties involved in introducing variety into your baby’s diet, patience will pay off. Offering a variety of foods from different food groups is essential for their growth and development. Let’s discuss the importance of variety in your baby's diet and why trying new foods is crucial for their health.
Nutrient Diversity
Each food has a unique set of nutrients that play a crucial role in your baby's health. By offering food variety to your baby, you ensure that they get a diverse range of nutrients that support their growth and development. This is crucial at the beginning of your baby’s life. Fruits and vegetables, herbs, spices and roots are all excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which they can get through baby food pouches, while proteins like meats, fish, and legumes provide essential amino acids for building tissues and organs.
Palate Development & Expansion
Babies are born with a natural preference for sweet flavors, but as they grow, they need exposure to more than sweet flavors. Offering them a variety of tastes and textures to develop a more diverse palate is the best way to expand their palette. By introducing your baby to different foods and flavors, you help them develop their taste buds and encourage them to try new things. This can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Allergen Exposure
Another way exposing your child to a variety of foods can be beneficial is to give them allergen exposure. This can help reduce the risk of developing food allergies. Studies have shown that early introduction of allergenic foods like peanuts, eggs, and fish can help prevent the development of allergies later in life. (1) However, talk to your pediatrician before taking any steps toward introducing allergenic foods to your baby's diet, especially if there's a family history of allergies.
Healthy Habits
By exposing your baby to a variety of healthy foods from the start, you can set the foundation for healthy eating habits that can carry your baby through to adulthood. Research has shown that children who eat a varied diet during infancy and toddlerhood are more likely to continue to eat a diverse range of foods as they grow older. (2)
How to Incorporate Variety into Your Baby's Diet
- Offer a wide range of fruits and vegetables in different colors and textures. A colorful plate is a healthy plate.
- Don’t be afraid to start introducing a variety of proteins, including meats, fish, and legumes early on.
- Find opportunities to incorporate grains like quinoa, brown rice, and oats into your baby's diet.
- Try new foods and flavors often but be patient and offer new foods multiple times to encourage acceptance.
- Don't be fearful to mix it up! Experiment with different flavor combinations, spices, and herbs to keep things interesting.
- Involve your baby in the food selection process by letting them choose between different options. Be careful not to offer too many options for your baby to avoid overwhelming them. Two options will suffice.
- Don't give up if your baby initially rejects a new food. It’s extremely common for this to happen the first few tries. In fact, it can take up to 10-15 exposures to a food before they accept it.
Make mealtime fun by offering foods in different shapes and sizes, using colorful plates and utensils, and engaging your baby in conversation. Shapes like hearts, stars, and smiley faces make mealtime fun!
Offer a variety of textures, including puree baby food, soft solids, and finger foods, to help develop your baby's chewing and swallowing skills.
Offering your baby a variety of healthy foods is crucial for their growth and development. As parents, there’s nothing better than having peace of mind that we’re giving our babies every tool to make heal a priority throughout their lives. It all starts at home, and it starts earlier than you think. By exposing them to different tastes, textures, and nutrients, you can help them develop a diverse palate and healthy eating habits that can last forever.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6267161/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4307246/