Early childhood is the time when the body develops intensively, the organs grow, and the metabolism is formed. A properly composed diet during this time is of great importance. Parents know this and carefully select products for their little ones, including the best organic formulas and purees in jars. However, even the most beautiful vegetable from the market does not guarantee that it is suitable for a young body. Why do children need a different diet than adults? Let’s try to figure it out.
Why Should You Pay Special Attention to the Food for Your Baby?
Appropriate quality and safety of products for the youngest are critical primarily due to the exceptional sensitivity of the young organism to factors from the external environment. An infant or toddler is not yet fully developed, like an adult, and his immune system cannot protect him from harmful contaminants potentially present in food yet.
Proper nutrition is also necessary due to the small size of the organs in the toddler’s body, which are still maturing and gradually preparing for meals from the family table.
To illustrate the needs of a young body, compare a toddler and his mother who eat the same amount of vegetables, for example, 150 grams of carrot. Mom, who weighs about 50 kilograms, will provide her body with about 3 g of carrots for every kilogram of body weight. On the other hand, a child who weighs about 15 kilograms will consume 10 g of carrots per kilogram of body weight with such a portion, which is as much as 3 times more. If such a carrot contains harmful substances, e.g., pesticide residues, its concentration will be 3 times higher in the child’s body than in the mom’s body.
What Is the Difference Between an Ordinary Fruit and a Fruit in a Baby Meal?
Whether vegetables, fruits, cereals, fish, or meat are safe for children cannot be assessed by the senses. Two identical-looking fruits are not always of the same quality. That is why it is worth reaching for food created especially for the youngest. Such products meet extremely restrictive quality standards, much stricter compared to generally available products consumed by parents and older siblings.
Fruit and vegetables from farms intended for cultivation with the youngest in mind are controlled at every stage of production so that the entire process allows for obtaining the appropriate quality of products.
To obtain ingredients of the highest quality, suppliers of products for children take care of crops and fields with great care. For example, the soil on which vegetables, fruits, or cereals grow is thoroughly tested for the content of harmful substances. Even before sowing, specific varieties are selected so that a ripe carrot or apple has the right shape, taste, and color. Throughout the growing period, the plants are looked after and carefully checked for quality. If the ingredient is not tested, it cannot be considered safe for babies.
Products suitable for the youngest like organic baby formula are distinguished primarily by the characteristic information placed on the packaging. It is an indication of age, which is a guarantee that both the composition and consistency of a given product meet the needs of a child’s body at various stages of development.