Hey mums and dads! Check out why this new study finds avocados to be the best first food for your baby!
According to the study, the neutral flavour, soft consistency and nutrient density make avocados the ideal first food for babies. The study claims that avocados can help boost infants’ growth and development.
"Infants should consume moderately energy-dense foods that are low in sugar and rich in multiple nutrients," says the new paper published in the journal Nutrients.
Ideally, a baby's first food should have a low to moderate sweet and salty flavour.
This helps babies to avoid early preferences for sweet foods at such a young age. The neutral flavour of avocados helps make it a practical food for a first food.
In addition to their flavouring, avocados are unique among complementary and transitional foods. They can provide babies with an ideal source of calories to meet the increasing energy and growth demands associated with growing toddlers and weaning infants.
Robert Murray, Professor at the Ohio State University, claims, "It’s important that infants experience a wide variety of tastes, textures, colours and combinations, in their first foods."
When analyzing the nutritional facts of an avocado, it's easy to see why researchers praise the fruit. If you want your baby to have little exposure to sugar (natural or otherwise), an avocado is a very viable option. Avocados contain less than 1 gram of sugar per serving (0.09g). That’s the least amount of sugar per serving of any other fruit.
Another quality of an avocado that makes it perfect for babies is its unique texture.
Avocados' soft and smooth textures can help infants to develop the ability to chew and swallow easily.
The researchers of this study also noted that avocados help significantly enhance the absorption of lipid-soluble vitamins from foods eaten with them.
In short, the benefits of avocados are nearly unmatched. Their texture, flavour, and nutrients are the perfect fit for your first time-eater. They can also stimulate your child's development and growth! Looks like a baby's having avocados for lunch!
This story was originally covered by NDTV
