Proper food for babies

Sep 26, 2017

Fruits are also important, but because the chances of choking are high, they should be mashed.

NUTRITION|HEALTH


A baby should be fed on foods rich in carbohydrates, such as rice porridge and millet porridge (bushera) as a source of energy.


"Proteins can also be given by mixing porridge with mukene (silverfish) powder or giving a meal of fresh fish mashed with Irish potatoes," says Sharon Naluwende, a nutritionist at Mulago Hospital in Kampala.

Fruits are also important, but because the chances of choking are high, they should be mashed. You can make a purée of bananas (bogoya) and milk or avocado and Irish potatoes.

Older infants need foods rich in Vitamin D to stimulate bone development. If you can afford, give the infant omega-3 fish oil or cod liver oil. Otherwise, empuuta (Nile perch) and mukene powder will do.

From one year and above, a child can chew tiny pieces of beef or minced meat.

Haspha Nassolo, a nursing officer in Kampala, advises parents of picky babies to stick to healthy snacks and stay away from foods with preservatives.

For babies that do not like certain types of fruits or food, she says their parents can work around a variety of fruits and foods to find one that their child likes.

"Ensure your baby gets some protein, vitamins, roughage and carbohydrates. If they don't love a certain type of food, mix it with something they like."

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