The Best Superfoods for Your Baby (and how to serve them)
When babies are born, their gut is brand new, and we, as parents, get to have a say on what goes into their growing bellies first.
Did you know that when a baby is born, the microbiome in their belly is not fully formed? The microbiome in our gut is responsible for 70-80% of our immune system, which can be incredibly helpful for a baby taking on a new world.
As parents wanting to help their baby have a strong immune system, the first food they consume should be a SUPERfood. They can incrementally support gut nutrition as well as lay the groundwork for healthy tastebuds.
They can receive superfood nutrition through your breastmilk (via what a mom eats) when they are very young & through purees when they start their first superfood solids.
Fruits and vegetables that are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber make the best first foods you feed your baby once they start eating solids.
So what is a superfood?
A superfood is a super-healthy, super-charged natural food that is high in nutritional value and benefits the body in multiple ways because they include:
Healthy fats
Vitamins
Minerals
Antioxidants
Fiber
Flavonoids
Superfoods help to strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation with flavonoids, and have antioxidants that fight off free radicals that damage our cells.
When it comes time to start trying solids, you’ll want to choose healthy, nutrient-dense foods that will develop a healthy taste bud pallet.
Here are 3 of the best superfoods packed with nutrients to give your baby’s belly a good start
Avocados
Avocados are a fruit full of protein and healthy fats to help not only with gut development but brain health, too.
Avocados are easy to prepare. They can be eaten at room temperature or cold and freeze into chunks really well.
They can be mashed and puréed, cubed, or served in thick sliced strips.
Blend this superfood into a smoothie, or add some lime, garlic, and a touch of salt for homemade guacamole dip.
Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the best superfood sources with immune-boosting antioxidants.
They are a good source of zinc, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium.
Find them fresh or frozen year-round in stores. Frozen blueberries last much longer and are a nice cold treat for a teething baby!
Rinse the frozen ones to remove stain-happy berry juice before serving.
Slice this superfood into quarters or smash to avoid choking hazards until your baby is old enough to eat them whole.
Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes contain lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene that your baby’s body will turn into vitamin A to support their eye and skin development.
This superfood is full of fiber and potassium to promote healthy digestion.
They come in many different colors to try, like white, orange, and purple!
You can bake and smash the potatoes, chop them into chunks, and roast them in the oven.
Air-fryer superfood potatoes: Peel and cut into French fry strips. Then coat the potatoes with healthy extra virgin olive oil and any other spice your baby may love, like garlic and onion powder. Pop into the air-fryer for stress-free baby food.
Besides finding the best superfood for your baby, the products you choose to let your baby teeth on during are super important, too!
Did you know that many teethers contain toxic plastic and harmful chemicals? Mercurii Baby is on a mission to safely soothe your baby’s gums! Here's a link to check out our entire teether collection.
- Certified 100% food grade silicone
- Non-toxic, BPA & Phthalate free
- Large lemon teether can also be hung from a play gym!
- This stackable silicone teether toy helps with motor development as your baby learns to master this activity!
- 100% food-grade silicone
- Non-toxic, BPA-free, phthalate-free
- An easy-to-hold flower rattle + teether provides music therapy and gum soothing chew time!
- Safe and non-toxic silicone
- Baby-proofed and non-treated solid metal bell to delight their ears
Last Thoughts
There are so many choices out there when it comes to what to feed your baby first. Sometimes you may have to offer a superfood to your baby multiple times before they decide to try it.
Tread lightly, as over-encouraging (or pushing) your little one to eat when they’ve said no could result in picky eating. Be a safe place and a good example for your little one to experiment at their own pace.
Resources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4404917/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8227682/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33803407/#:~:text=With%2070%2D80%25%20of%20immune,the%20local%20mucosal%20immune%20system.
