By: The 6th month in your baby’s life, marks an important milestone in the little one’s development. At the 6th month mark, your baby’s digestive system is much more developed, but what you need to know at this point is that the iron supply that was stored in their body, that they were born with, will now have started to run low, making this the perfect time to start introducing the baby to solid foods.
Nutrients Required:
Iron
Iron is a crucial nutrient for your baby at 6 months of age as it helps the brain development of your child and also provides help when it comes to improving the baby’s memory. Iron should also be factored in when we think about the production of blood, since it is an essential nutrient that helps in the production of haemoglobin.
There are plenty of foods that are good for your child and are rich in iron, like spinach, eggs and even potatoes.
Zinc
Zinc is like a partner of iron, and these two are more often than not, found in the same type of food and cereals. The max requirement of your baby for zinc is 3gm in a day. The main function of zinc is to help the blood produce white blood cells that help fight any infections that your baby might be susceptible to.
Apart from this, zinc also helps the body to stimulate the growth of body cells, thus helping in the repairing process of the body. Feeding your baby cheese, lentils and yoghurt will help the little one tremendously in helping him/her get the same.
Calcium
Your baby’s daily calcium requirement is 500mg each day. Apart from the breast milk, calcium can also be obtained from food that your baby consumes. Calcium helps very well, in the strengthening of both teeth and bones.
Thanks to the calcium, by the time your baby starts running and jumping, the chances of your baby’s bone enduring a fracture is very less. Oatmeal and yoghurt can be your best and safest bets.
Vitamins
- Vit A: Helps promote healthy skin and better vision. Foods: Carrots, broccoli and sweet potato.
- Vit B: Promotes a healthy immune system and also metabolism. Food: Bananas, beans, leafy vegetables.
- Vit C: Prevents scurvy and other deficiencies. Food: Strawberries, citrus fruits and tomatoes.
- Vit D: Essential for maintaining bone strength and prevents rickets. Food: Cow’s milk and egg yolk
- Vit E: Helps in the development of the nervous system and is also an amazing anti-oxidant. Food: Cereals and vegetable oil
- Vit K: Prevents clotting thus helping in the free flow of blood. Food: Soya, leafy vegetables.
Just remember, whatever food you decide to offer your baby, make sure that the food is soft and easy to chew for the little one. You can easily boil vegetables to make them easier to chew and digest by your baby.
