Which Vegetables Are Good For Your Baby

Vegetables should be introduced after cereal and before fruit. Vegetables should be introduced as your baby can get the important nutrients he needs during his first year.

A typical daily serving of vegetables for a 6-8 month old baby is 3-4 tablespoons twice a day. You should start with strained pureed green vegetables and move on to strained yellow and other brightly colored varieties. Two great first choices are green peas or green beans. After the green vegetables you can introduce a more colorful choice such as carrots, yellow squash, or sweet potatoes. On top of that, you should introduce one vegetable at a time and wait 2-3 days before offering another variety. This gives your baby a chance to adapt to one flavor and gives you a chance to watch for allergic reactions. It is important that all vegetables you serve to your 6-8 month old baby need to be finely strained and pureed.

A typical daily serving of vegetables for an 8-10 month old baby can vary from 3-4 tablespoons four times a day to over a cup of vegetables daily. Your baby is an individual and servings will depend on the size of your baby and how your baby likes and tolerates vegetables. As your baby nears his first birthday continue to increase his serving size of vegetables to accommodate his appetite. If your baby is not having any trouble eating strained vegetables you can advance to junior strained (less pureed more mashed) and very tender vegetables from the family table.

Babies need great nutrient rich choices (made by you) to accommodate their metabolism and growth rate. For instance a baby requires more Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Calcium per pound of body weight than an adult male.

Luckily there are many power packed vegetables to choose from for your baby :

1. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, and carrots are full of vitamin A (beta-carotene) which is vital to healthy eyesight, normal cell development, immune defenses and more.
2. Nerve and muscle processes both rely heavily on thiamin and green peas are a good source.
3. Red sweet peppers, green peepers, and broccoli contain high amounts of vitamin C, an antioxidant which also assists in iron absorption.
4. Calcium is an integral part of bone structure and plays a major role in blood clotting, maintaining blood pressure and much more. Broccoli, lima beans, soybeans, and squash are healthy choices if you’re aiming for calcium.