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Baby’s First Foods - An Alternative View

Written by Miles Price on Wednesday, 10 July 2013. Posted in Baby Basics

Miles Price, Clinical Nutritionist from Life Clinic, shares his alternative views on what your baby’s first foods should be and some recipes to get you started.

Baby’s First Foods - An Alternative View

The usual practice by most mums when weaning their babies is to give them mashed apples, bananas, rice cereal and oatmeal and the like. This has been the practice since time immemorial. In the past few years, an alternative view has emerged and has become a topic of discussion among many mothers'groups.
 

It is now regarded that foods like rice cereal and oatmeal can be very harsh on the stomach of a small baby who has never digested anything but breast milk. A baby’s gut is delicate and immature when he or she is just a few months old. At birth, babies produce the functional proteolytic enzymes of pepsin and hydrochloric acid that work on proteins and fats1. This limits the type of foods they can take in, which is why pre-digested and balanced mother’s milk is best. More foods can be introduced later as the baby grows older and his or her gut matures and produces more enzymes.


Breast milk contains all the essential nutrients along with 55% fat, 38% carbohydrates and 7% protein, it serves as the ultimate food source. An infant receives up to six times the amount of cholesterol, from human milk, than the average person would from consuming food which is important as cholesterol assists in the development of healthy brain cells and sensory nerves.2 Traditional weaning foods such as apples, bananas and rice cereal are 100% carbohydrates with no fat or protein unlike breast milk.


Hence it is important that your baby’s weaning food is composed of a similar nutritional make-up to breast milk. Otherwise we are at risk of initiating a range of intolerance reactions like colic, skin problems, fussy eating habits and so on. Other signs of intolerance to look out for include bloating, gas, irritability, fussiness, overactivity, constipation/diarrhea, nasal or chest congestion and skin rashes (dermatitis).3


Babies are fast growing human beings, and growth requires amino acids from proteins and fatty acids from fats. However breaking down protein is also hard for babies so the right type of easily digested proteins is important. Egg yolks, not egg whites, are a very good choice as are bone broths which provide easily assimilated amino acids to support babies growth. Bone broths are especially important as they contain the all important Gelatin, which has many nourishing properties to support gut health.4,5


In the US, Dr. Nancy Krebs headed a large infant growth study that found breast-fed infants who received puréed or strained meat as a primary weaning food beginning at 5 months grew at a slightly faster rate, adding that inadequate zinc may limit growth of some breastfed infants during weaning who are fed carbohydrate-based foods.6


Fatty acids are best obtained from animal sources like butter, organic eggs and animal fats and some saturated plant fats like coconut oil/milk. The fatty acids supplied in these foods are easily assimilated and are similar to the composition of mothers milk. In addition, animal fats, provide Vitamins A and D, necessary for protein and mineral assimilation for normal growth and hormone production.Choices like organic, ‘outdoor reared’ produce ensure the purity and nutrient density of the foods.


Giving your child the best nutritional support in these initial months will provide long term ‘health insurance’ against diseases later in life. Following these guidelines will kick start in the right direction.
 

Here are some easy early weaning recipes that you can prepare for your baby.
 

Egg Yolk (4 months+)

Boil an egg for three to four minutes, peel away the shell, discard the white and mash up yolk with a little unrefined sea salt. (The yolk should be soft and warm, not runny.) Small amounts of grated, raw organic liver (which has been frozen 14 days) may be added to the egg yolk after 6 months. Some mothers report their babies actually prefer the yolk with the liver. From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.



Pureed Meats (6 months+)

Cook meat (lamb or beef) gently in filtered water or homemade stock until completely tender, or use meat from stews, etc., that you have made for your family. Make sure the cooked meat is cold and is in no bigger than ½ inch chunks when you purée. Grind up the meat first until it's almost like a clumpy powder. Then add water or breast milk, or the natural cooking juices as the liquid.


Baby Pate (6 months+)

Place ¼ pound organic chicken livers and ¼ cup broth or filtered water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for eight minutes. Pour into a blender (liver and liquid) with 1-2 teaspoons butter and a pinch of sea salt and blend to desired consistency.
 

Vegetable Puree (6 months+)

Use squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, carrots or beets. Cut vegetables in half, scoop out seeds from squash and bake in a 200°C oven for about an hour, or steam them (in the case of carrots and beets) for 20 to 25 minutes. Mix in butter when puréeing. You can cook these vegetables for your own dinner and purée a small portion in a blender or food mill for your baby.
 

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REFERENCES
  1. Thurston, Emory. Ph.D. ScD. Parents' Guide to Nutrition for Tots to Teens. Keats Publishing. 1979
  2. Jensen RG. Lipids in Human Milk. Lipids 1999;34:1243-1271
  3. Percival, Mark. D.C. N.D. Infant Nutrition. Health Coach System. 1995
  4. Burton BT Foster WR Human Nutrition 4th ed 1988 McGraw Hill.
  5. Gotthoffer NR, Gelatin in Nutrition and Medicine 1945 Grayslake Gelatin Co Greyslake IL.
  6. Krebs, N. Research in Progress. Beef as a first weaning food. Food and Nutrition News 1998; 70(2):5
  7. Enig, Mary. Ph.D. Dietary Recommendations for Children – A Recipe for Future Heart Disease? Accessed August 17, 2004. Weston A Price Website.

 

About the Author

Miles Price

Miles Price

 

Miles is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist with Life Clinic in Hong Kong. He has worked closely with some of the key medical professionals in Functional Medicine, namely Dr. Kenneth Bock, author of the book ‘Healing Chronic Childhood Epidemics – Autism, ADHD, asthma and Allergies’. Under the tutelage of Dr. Bock, Miles applies specific functional medicine tools in supporting children and parents in improving their health and wellbeing.

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