Eating nutrient-dense foods doesn’t have to be hard, and preparing them doesn’t have to be difficult either. The same foods that are nourishing for your baby are also good for you and your family! Some delicious superfoods to enjoy as a whole family include:
Eggs – the most digestible protein and 14 other essential nutrients including brain building choline, eggs deserve to be on the menu. Start with yolks for the little ones. A hard cooked yolk that is mashed with breast milk or formula is a perfect beginner food. High in iron, egg yolks help to replace this nutrient when body stores run out. Enjoy some kid-friendly egg recipes here.
Bananas – portable, delicious source of carbohydrates, fibre, potassium, manganese and vitamin B6. They can be mashed with breastmilk or formula for an instant baby food. Bananas can also be mashed and added to baked goods as a healthy source of sweetness. Because they are so high in carbohydrates balance bananas with a protein source. Adding eggs to make Paleo Banana Pancakes gives a quick and balanced treat! Try pouring batter into a greased muffin pan for tiny pancakes that cook without being watched!
Sweet Potato – another perfect beginner food. Boiled mashed sweet potato can be blended with breast milk or formula to make instant baby food. Super rich in minerals, B vitamins, vitamins A and C the humble sweet potato is a delicious powerhouse. It contains a healthy portion of fibre in addition to being a rich source of necessary carbohydrates. For a decadent treat that is super healthy try a sweet potato parfait. I personally like chopped pecans or walnuts on my parfait rather than peanuts. The healthy fat in nuts helps increase absorption of the beta carotene in sweet potatoes.
Blueberries – these tiny little gems are in the top 100 foods that are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to control the damage done to cells by free radicals. They can be eaten out of hand or blended into smoothies. Frozen ones make them accessible year round. Make Blueberry Jam with chia seeds and maple syrup for better nutrition that’s still tastes sweet.
Lentils – are high in iron and protein. They are a rich in fibre to keep folks regular. Simply cook red lentils and blend with breast milk or formula for babies first food. As your little one gets older, the same lentil soup or stew you are feeding the family for dinner can be blended or mashed for your baby. Spices contain the richest sources of antioxidants and slow cooker curried lentils with chicken and potatoes is a full meal that features a lot of super nutritional spices in addition to lentils.
Black beans – like all legumes, black beans contain protein, iron and other minerals in addition to fibre. They are smaller-sized beans that cook quickly and also have a pretty unique look about them. They can be cooked soft for an easy finger food and have a mild taste that can be jazzed up with spices. Try the filling for black bean quesadillas (two cups of beans blended with 1/2 cup salsa until fairly smooth)! This can be fed with a spoon to babies as a main dish while the filling is spread on tortillas, topped with cheese and grilled on a greased pan until crisp for the rest of the family.
To be continued, because there are just so many superfoods out there!
