Weekend Series: Family Nutrition - Infant Nutrition

Family Nutrition: Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Eat Healthy for All Ages

Being a working parent is challenging.  Being a parent is challenging.  Working out the logistics of daycare/school drop off, getting everyone to their after school activities on time, making sure homework is done, baths are taken, laundry is clean….oh wait…dinner?  What’s for dinner? 

Believe me, I take advantage of the drive through when necessary.  Usually on nights where I’m flying solo, sick, or just don’t have the energy to put into dinner.  But eating healthy is important for our family, so I make informed choices about what we eat, and find easy ways to prepare wholesome foods for everyone. 

This weekend I will be posting tips on healthy nutrition for busy families.  I will be focusing on Infant Nutrition, Toddler Nutrition, and Adult Nutrition.  So continue to check in this weekend for more information!

Infant Nutrition

Breastfeed

There really is no cheaper option for feeding your infant than breastfeeding.  It is 100% free, and it will be available wherever and whenever your baby becomes hungry.  If you are unsure about breastfeeding, or are currently struggling with it for any reason, there are a myriad of resources at your fingertips.  If you feel you need support or have any questions about breastfeeding and/or formula supplementation, visit the following sites:

 

 

Make it Yourself

Once your baby shows the signs of readiness you can introduce solid foods, which occur typically between 4 to 6 months.  I recommend making your own.  Those little jars of baby food, while cute, can be very expensive.  Invest in a hand blender – they are relatively inexpensive and it will make making your own baby food super easy.  I made Will some apples last week. I peeled, cored and roughly chopped 1 apple, then steamed it for about 10min.  Then, I threw it in the cup that came with my blender and purred it for about 10 seconds.  And, it was done!  I got 6 1oz servings of apples for my little guy in less than 15min.  At the same time, I was cooking dinner for the rest of my family too.

Here are my baby food making supplies:

• Cuisinart Smart Stick  
• OXO Tot Baby Food Freezer Tray  
• Fresh foods: I just bought pears, apples, carrots, and a sweet potato to make for my little guy

That’s all you need!  And, if you are even luckier and your kiddo doesn’t like purees (much like my daughter) or if you prefer baby led weaning, then you have it even easier.  Just work in healthy/baby friendly foods into your regular meal planning and set them out for your little one to enjoy.  Things like broccoli spears and sweet potato wedges make great options for your little one to explore food with.

Start Slow
A 6 month old does not need 3 meals a day.  With our daughter, we started with 1 “meal” a day – dinners.  Then we gradually added breakfast the next month and then lunch when she was 8 months.  By the time she was 9mo she was on the regular school meal/snack schedule as well as their provided meals.  It saved us a lot of time not having to send meals to school every day.  I’ll admit I had a hard time letting go of controlling everything she ate, but, in the end it was worth my sanity not having that extra thing to worry about every day.  We will follow this same strategy with Will, providing his cues.

Don’t fret about your infant missing a “meal” either.  As long as they are still getting breastmilk or formula as their main source of nutrition throughout the day, chances are, they will be just fine.

Come back tomorrow for the continuation of the series: Toddler Nutrition