While you might feel that including fat in your baby’s meals goes against the grain of healthy eating, the truth of the matter is that children, especially little ones, need fat in order to grow and thrive. Breast milk, the ideal food for infants and babies, is 50% fat! So it doesn’t make sense to chop your little one’s fat intake down to nothing as soon as he starts eating solids.
Many parents, especially those suffering from weight issues, tend to watch the amount of fat their baby eats and may unwittingly be causing more harm than good. A baby’s metabolism is quite different from that of an adult and most babies run no risk of suffering from obesity . . . in fact, studies show that people who didn’t gain weight well in childhood actually have more issues with obesity when they are older.
Part of the reason a baby needs 50% fat in his diet is because of the astoundingly rapid growth that babies go through. They need a lot of calories to grow that fast and since they have such little tummies, it can be difficult to get enough calories with non-fat food. Fat, for all the fear we have of it, is an excellent method of ingesting a high amount of calories in a small amount of food.
Without fat, it would literally be impossible for a baby to get the calories necessary for proper growth. The amount of plain veggies your little one would have to ingest is simply too much for a minute tummy, and this is why children on low-fat diets tend not to gain weight and may even lose it.
That’s not to say you should break out the potato chips and Cheesies, your baby needs healthy fat, not junk food! There are a few choices that you can make every day in order to provide your baby with healthy fat sources. For example, if you are giving him yogurt, a staple first food, look for full-fat versions. Most yogurts these days have no or low fat, so it might take some looking.
The same goes for cheese and other foods. While you might be watching your weight and using diet margarine and low-fat cheese, you will want to make sure that your little one has the non-diet versions of these foods. If necessary, buy separate foods for your children so you aren’t tempted!
Making sure that your baby has plenty of fat in his diet will help him grow at the proper rate. If ever you are worried about his weight or that he might be obese, be sure to talk to your doctor. It is pretty rare for an infant to be overweight and things usually even out by the end of toddlerhood, so don’t worry and focus on the baby’s health.
