Support Your Baby's Growth When Starting Solids With These Critical Nutrients

Support your baby's brain development during the window of opportunity by offering these critical nutrients when starting solids - whether baby led weaning or traditional weaning is used!

The first 1000 days of a child's life - the period from conception to 2 years - is the most critical time for their growth and development. This brain development set the stage for a child’s cognitive abilities, motor skills and socio-emotional development. Because the brain is developing at such a rapid rate during this period, it is often called the "window of opportunity" to giving a child the best foundation for a long, healthy, and productive life. Nutrient needs are very high to support this period of rapid development, which is why proper nutrition is so important. Nutrients provide the building blocks for healthy, productive brain development. Missing out on even a single critical nutrient, or building block, could interrupt the developmental process, and the effects could be irreversible. But the good news is, we can use nutrition during the first 1000 days to support and encourage our child's growth and development for life!

Every Bite Counts

While the first 1000 days start during pregnancy, and move through breastfeeding, infants get all the nutrition they need to thrive through mom in utero or via breastmilk or formula. So today I'll focus on infants in the 6-12 month stage, since that's when we start offering complementary foods. At 6 months of age, breastmilk or formula is no longer adequate to meet 100% of a growing baby's needs. In order to nourish the proper growth and development of little ones, we must provide them adequate amounts of essential nutrients with complementary food (or solids). Since they eat such a small amount at first, itʼs up to us as parents to provide the right foods from the very beginning to meet those nutrient needs that breast milk or formula can no longer fully provide from ages 6 months to 2 years. That means choosing very nutrient-dense foods so that every bite baby takes is as beneficial as possible.

Critical Nutrients For Brain Development

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all nutrients are necessary for brain growth, but particular key nutrients that support proper brain development include:

• Protein
• Zinc
• Iron
• Choline
• Folate
• Iodine
• Vitamins A, D, B6, and B12
• Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Failure to provide key nutrients during this critical 2-year period of brain development, especially iron, may result in lifelong deficits in brain function. By providing nutrient-dense foods at every meal opportunity, we can ensure nutrition needs are met for healthy growth and development.

The Best Food Sources For Baby's Brain Development

• Protein - Breastmilk or formula will provide most of baby's protein needs for a few more months, but it's a good idea to go ahead and introduce protein rich foods like eggs, meat, fish, and dairy.
• Zinc - The best sources of zinc are red meat and shellfish. It can also be found in poultry, beans and legumes, eggs, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
• Iron - Iron can be found in meat (especially beef), eggs, leafy greens, and beans.
• Choline - Choline is not found in many foods, but is high in eggs, meat and poultry, salmon, and cruciferous vegetables like brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower.
• Folate - Good sources are green leafy vegetables, beans, avocado, and nuts (easily feed to baby in the form of nut butter).
• Iodine - Iodine is typically found in seafood, seaweed, and animal protein.
• Vitamin A - Orange colored foods are typically high in vitamin A, such as winter squash, sweet potato, carrots, cantaloupe, and apricots. Leafy greens are also a good source.
• Vitamin D - Vitamin D is not easy to get from food. It can be found canned salmon, fortified dairy products, eggs, almonds, and mushrooms. You may need to offer a vitamin D supplement to meet baby's needs, that's why I always recommend Vitamin D drops for babies!
• Vitamins B6 and B12 - B vitamins are particularly abundant in animal foods such as meat and poultry, eggs, milk, and fish; as well as beans and seeds.
• Fat - Focus on omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, grass-fed meats, walnuts and flaxseed; as well as unsaturated fats from olive oil, nuts and avocados.

You'll notice that there is a lot of animal protein on this list. That's why it's so important to include plenty of meat, fish, eggs and dairy in baby's diet along with a variety of fruit and veggies to really make every bite count!