Adding Oil Or Butter To Baby Food? Yes, Mam!

Learn why, how and what fats to add to your baby's food

When making baby food, we usually put together different vegetables, herbs and possibly some meat or fish. Then we mix it with breast milk, formula or water for the right consistency. The result is - hopefully - a yummy dish for your baby, but a very low-fat one.

Good or bad? Actually... not so good.

Here we will explain why adding oil or butter to baby food is a great way to promote your baby's health and development.

Why And How To Add Fat To Your Baby's Food

• Why Babies Need Fat
• What Fats To Choose
• How Much Butter Or Oil To Add To A Baby's Food
• What About Obese Babies
• What About Skinny Babies

Why Babies Need Fat

Breast milk has a high fat content; some 4% and comprises of Omega 3 fats such as DHA and AA - very healthy. However, if you could take out all the water of breast milk, the remaining substance would be around 50% fat. Quite a lot!

If you make your own baby food without adding fat, the fat content will often be a lot less than 4%. So, as you can see, fat is an extremely important part of a baby's diet. If you start with solid foods early, or you do not add oil or butter to baby food that you cook, your baby may not get enough fat for optimal development.

Interestingly, despite the fact that baby food may contain less fat than breast milk and formula, several studies show that babies who are introduced to solids foods early, are at a significantly higher risk of becoming overweight as pre-schoolers compared to children introduced to solid foods after the age of 4 months. Low fat baby food is not a way to keep your baby at normal weight.

What Fats To Choose

Oil, such as olive oil or coconut oil, is excellent to add to your baby's food.

Olive oil is well-known to healthy, especially if using extra-virgin (organic) oil. Olive oil contains a high degree of monounsaturated fats, as well as fatty acids that are present in breast milk and helps promote your baby's growth. It also contain several important vitamins, such as A, B C, D, E and K. (Read about the benefits of different vitamins for your baby here.)

Coconut oil (again virgin, organic) is growing in popularity, due to its composition. Coconut oil has a large content of medium chain fatty acids, just like breast milk. It also contains Both breast milk and coconut oil are rich in lauric acid, which promotes immune defense.

There are other healthy oils too, but olive oil and coconut oils are good, well-documents oils to start with for your baby. Just make sure you sure extra-virgin, and preferably organic oils, if you can afford it. (Virgin oils are a must if you want the oil to be healthy for your baby.)

Adding butter to baby food is a great option too. Butter is very nutritious, provides necessary fat and cholesterol, along with Vitamin A, CLA and essential fatty acids. You should stick to unsalted butter, preferably organic, as salt can tax baby's kidneys, and organically produced butter will not contain the added hormones/drugs that are given to cattle raised in standard conditions. Also, if possible, use butter from grass-fed, rather than grain-fed, cattle, as grass-fed butter will contain significantly higher amounts of vitamin A and CLA and will have a better Omega-3 fatty acid profile.

If you are worried about the milk protein content of butter, you can relax. Butter does not normally contain large amounts of milk proteins, so should be minimally allergenic. If the baby tolerates milk-based formula (or if the mother breastfeeds and includes dairy in HER diet), the baby is not likely to have an allergy or sensitivity to milk protein.

Then how about margarine? Avoid it! Margarine is made through a chemical process which makes it solid, but also makes it full of transfatty acids, preservatives and chemicals. Yikes!

How Much Butter Or Oil To Add To A Baby's Food

What About Obese Babies

It is more worrying if an older baby starts gaining weight rapidly all of a sudden. But before worrying at all, consult your baby's doctor! You should not start experimenting with your baby's diet before talking to a pediatrician.

Now let's say that your baby or young toddler really is overweight. Does that mean that you should cut down on fat? Actually no. At least not as a first hand option. What you should cut down on is sugar and simple carbohydrates, such as white flour, fast food and fruit juices. More and more research confirms that sugar and simple carbohydrates are the real causes of obesity. They also cause cavities, and may lead to malnutrition, since they are practically empty calories (no vitamins, minerals, proteins or fats that are needed for development). You should also make sure that your baby gets access to healthy fats, such as the ones described above with medium chain fatty acids.

Secondly, have fun with your baby! Get down on the floor to play. Chase your crawling baby or running toddler - they usually love it! Or enroll in some fun baby activities together. A perfect way to bond with your baby too.

Third, make sure your baby sleeps enough. You can review this baby sleep schedule and compare with your own child. Lack of sleep is associated with overweight in adults, maybe also in children.

What About Skinny Babies

If your baby has an issue with being too skinny, as confirmed by your pediatrician, you are likely to get dietary advice from the doctor. Foods that are high in healthy fats are often an excellent source of energy for these children too. Avocado is an excellent veggie to offer your baby in such case, as is full fat cheese and yoghurt, when your baby is old enough. Some pediatricians will also recommend adding oil the baby's bottle. But again, do not try to increase your baby's weight unless your pediatrician tells you too.

Babies are not unhealthy just because they are tiny or skinny, regardless of what your grandma or neighbor says!

I hope this article has inspired you to stop worry about doing wrong when adding oil of fat to baby food. You can safely add the right oil or butter to baby food to make your baby thrive.

More About Feeding Your Baby

• Making Baby Food - It Is Easy!
• Information about children's eating habits can be found here
• And here's you'll find tips on how to avoid power struggles at the dinner table.

Would other parents find this valuable? Share it!

References

• Infants, Solid Food, and Obesity"
• Overfeeding with medium-chain triglyceride diet results in diminished deposition of fat
• Potent tissue-specific effects of medium chain fatty acids
• Baby fat: When is it cause for concern?
• Butter VS Margarine

More Baby Feeding Articles

Feeding Baby Tips & Tricks

• Tips For A Smooth Baby Food Start
• Making baby food
• Feeding schedule for up to 8 months old
• Feeding schedule for babies older than 8 months
• Children's eating habits
• Avoiding power struggles at meal time
• Helping the picky eater
• Bottle feeding your baby
• Baby feeding questions asked and answered

Baby Food Health Articles

• Baby foods to avoid and why
• Butter to baby? Yes, mam!
• Are you using safe baby bottles?
• Vitamin guide for babies
• Is it ok to mix formulas?
• Milo to baby?

Baby Food Recipes

• Baby food recipes to start with
• Baby food recipes for older babies
• Indian baby food recipes for older babies
• Vegetarian baby recipes
• Recipes for baby's first Thanksgiving and Halloween
• Fun finger foods

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