What foods should I try to include in my baby's weaning diet?

Iron rich foods - Getting enough iron in your baby’s weaning diet can influence their brain development forever. Babies are born with natural stores of iron that begin to decrease around six months. This is why it becomes so important to include iron rich foods in the weaning diet. Sources include red meat, chicken, eggs and leafy green vegetables. Vitamin C aids iron absorption, so include foods such as citrus fruits and tomatoes.

 

Vitamin D rich foods - Vitamin D is a key nutrient for healthy bones. It can be very hard to reach vitamin D requirements in both adults and babies in Ireland as the best source is sunlight! All babies should be taking a Vitamin D supplement of 5ug for the first 12 months of life. As well as this include vitamin D rich foods such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel and trout), eggs and fortified cereals.

 

Omega 3 fatty acid rich foods - Omega-3 fatty acids support baby’s brain, eye and nervous system development. The best source of omega-3 is oily fish such as trout, herring or salmon. Other sources include omega-3 fortified eggs and leafy green vegetables.