Best Baby Superfoods -- Parenting

I just read a nice article written by Maria Livingstone (Parenting). Here are the notes that I found useful:

1. In the first year of baby's life, we do mostly formula or breast milk and substitute with solids. But we hace to get baby ready to a balanced diet so that baby eats what we eat by the time he/she is 1.
2. Yellow-orange vegetables like Carrots and sweet potatoes make good first foods and are easier and always in season. All yellow-orange veggies are known for their high levels of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential vitamin for keeping the skin, teeth, bones, and tissues healthy.
3. Green vegetables are very important even though babies wont like the taste as they are not that sweet. The other day we gave Spinach and potato curry to Annika and she managed to seperate out all potatoes and leave spinach. I got stressed thinking she wont eat greens and would be iron deficient but then I remembered that You need to keep offering the food at least five or six times, repeating your attempts often.
4. Meat and Poultry- Most pediatricians now recommend introducing red meat, chicken and turkey from the get-go, since all contain zinc and iron, which babies need from around 4 to 6 months. This was so tough since I only eat chicken and as most my friends know I only eat Butter chicken. So I started with gerber chicken varieties so that Annika can develop taste for it. Though she still hate eggs.
5. Fruits are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber. You can start your baby off with bananas and then peaches. Make sure you introduce a fruit one at a time. I took time in figuring that Annika gets an upset stomach after pears.
6. Blueberries - Once your baby is eating finger foods, you can serve her up a handful of blueberries, fresh or frozen, says Behan. Blueberries are especially rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, responsible for giving these berries their deep blue color. They play a big role in your babe’s cognitive development, and studies have found they boost memory too. I did not know this till I read this article and I have yet to introduce blueberries.
7. Fish- Now this is one thing that I dont eat and regret it. I am always scred like most parents about allergies. The human body can’t make omega-3s, so you have to get it from food. Fish, especially salmon, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are touted for their heart-healthy properties and their ability to boost brain performance and memory. The daycare serves tuna and I dont cook fish so I might have to take tips from my MIL on this since she is an expert in cooking fish.
8. Eggs are super-cheap and super-nutritious for babies. Whereas doctors were wary of giving egg whites to babies under eight months because they were most allergenic part of the egg, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends parents give their child the whole egg from the get-go, says Dr. Bhatia. One egg every day is all your baby needs to get his daily dose of choline. A member of the B-vitamin clan, choline is a nutrient that boosts cell, brain, and memory growth. Anniak hates eggs and I hate them too. But I am slowly developing taste for it since I can never make her eat something that I cannot.
9. Beans are cheap source of protein and B-vitamin goodness, beans can be mashed, pureed or served whole as a finger food. I love beans but be careful they cause a little gas.
10. Avocados- Rich in calories and healthy fats, avocados make an easy first food for babies—and a simple one to cube and serve up as a finger food too, says Behan. Avocados contain vitamins A, C, and E as well as potassium and folate. Vitamin A is beneficial for your baby’s eye, the Vitamin E and fats helps keep his skin hydrated, and the vitamin C boosts his developing immune system. A good tip is no need to cook this dish: Mash it up with a little infant apple juice to prevent browning (it’s sweeter-tasting for tots than lemon juice),  I am going to try this tip since Annika does not like the bland taste of Avocado
11. Whole grains are essential to your baby’s future health, you’ll want to start introducing her to the taste of brown rice, whole-wheat breads, barley, and oatmeal right away, says Behan.  Whole grains are good for your baby’s digestive system, and help regulate her blood sugar levels, important even at this young age. Whole grains are also rich in vitamins B and E, which are good for cell and skin growth.
    A good tip is  that if cereal is one of your baby’s first foods, feed her oatmeal. And try to find oatmeal O-shaped cereals (like Cheerios) that don’t come with salt. Most babies like cheerios.
12. Yogurt-Since yogurt is a solid, not a liquid, a baby usually has no trouble self-regulating as he eats it—and will keep going until he feels full. That’s why you can go ahead and give him the full-fat kind. I like the Yobaby varieties esp the strawberry banana one. Its the best snack on the go on the hot summer day.