Feeding your child-the budget friendly yet nutritious way

Living is becoming expensive with each passing day-and money is scarce. Come a new baby and you have more mouths to feed. This means you have to dig deeper into your pockets.

Luckily, the first six months of a baby’s life are entirely recommended for breastfeeding. In this period, a new mother may not be as concerned about baby food as much. But sooner, weaning has to begin. This requires introducing alternative foods to the baby’s diet. In these lean economic times, we may desire cheaper, traditional food options that a mother can go for whilst still giving her baby nutritional whole meals. Florence Mumbua. a nutritionist at Healthy You, an outlet specializing in natural foods, supplements and herbs says:

There is no perfect first food even though there are some common foods which babies will respond to well. She says that baby rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula is a good first option. Mashed fruit and vegetables such as apple, pear, pumpkin and carrot are also good. Once a baby gets used to a number of individual foods, try combining them together. She discusses more on manufactured baby foods, and gives alternatives of cheaper, traditional but nutritionally whole baby foods.

Formulas
Infant formula is an artificial substitute for a mother’s breast milk. It is intended for infant consumption. Formula can not be said to match breast milk but in instances where breast milk is not available, infant formula should come in handy. Formulas are packed with protein, essential fatty acids good for brain development and Vitamin D for strong bone development. An alternative to this is cow or goat milk. Milk, as we know is a complete meal, but the down side to either cow or goat milk is that it does not have the essential fatty acids; otherwise, it is an alternative to the manufactured infant formulas. Note that cow and goat milk have a protein that is difficult to digest, and thus should be diluted and sugar added for they do not have enough sugar.

Breakfast—baby rice
As the first meal of the day. it should provide the baby with energy. Sorghum, omena or beans which are nutritious give energy. Mixed porridges are not recommended because allergies are difficult to trace. Cereals are also very healthy and nutritious.

Meals
These are served as whole meals; that is, lunch or dinner. It can be served as a combination of vegetables and pasta (carbohydrates). It can be given to a baby from the sixth month. It should provide for vitamins and minerals for bone building. Alternatives to these meals would be pumpkins, bananas, spinach, carrots and courgettis. You can add pasta or spaghetti. depending on baby’s age. Do not add salt to meals.

Fruits
Serve them between meals. Fruits are rich in vitamins. They boost the body’s immunity and are also a good source of energy. Traditional alternatives include basically all fruits you can think of, including pineapples and bananas. These can easily be blended. Try one fruit at a time. Avoid oranges, tomatoes and strawberries in the first year of baby’s life.

Check out
1. When buying manufactured baby foods, look at the expiry date, ensure they are certified organic (no chemicals should be used) and that they contain no GMO ingredients.
2. Go for fresh vegetables and fruits. It is advisable not to refrigerate them for long as they lose their nutritional value.
3.  Do not store leftovers and rewarm later. This could also lead to food poisoning.
4.  Discard leftovers unless refrigerated. Again it is advisable not to refrigerate for long periods, o Note also that most babies are allergic to dairy products, gluten, mostly found in wheat, oats. rye. so the more you avoid them the better. Do not add sugar or artificial sweeteners in baby food.
5.  For the dry baby food forms, just add water and then feed the baby.
6. You can make your own baby food at home. Blend up fresh fruits and vegetables.
7. If you are using the microwave to heat the food, allow standing time as the food continues to cook for a minute or two. stir thoroughly and test the temperature yourself before feeding baby, in order to avoid scalding them.

Important tips when introducing solids:
1.  Start with foods which are least likely to cause adverse reactions or allergies. Some of the safest options include baby rice, apple, pear and carrot.
2. Do not add sugar, salt, pepper or spices to baby’s food—neither their taste buds nor their delicate little bodies need these.
3.  Avoid potentially high allergenic foods until after baby turns one. The main foods to be wary of are nuts (including peanut butter), eggs. fish, wheat, tomatoes, oranges and strawberries.
4. Always stay close to baby when they are eating in case they choke.
5. Always have baby sitting whilst eating (preferably in a high chair) to minimize the risk of choking.

Instead of buying prepacked food, you can decide to buy economical foods.
For example, mashing a banana with a fork is much cheaper than buying prepackaged baby food.

Note
When planning to purchase baby food, try and compare prices between different grocery stores through calling and going to the market to compare prices and finding a price that works for you. Again, instead of buying pre-packed food, you can decide to buy inexpensive foods. For example, mashing a banana with a fork is much cheaper than buying prepackaged baby food. You may discover that homemade food brings additional taste and nutrition into your baby’s diet without hurting your pocket.

END: BL19/59-60