Toddler's Food

Found some useful information from some forum & babycenter, and I thought it'll be useful to share to others (or a reminder for myself for my next kid ;))

7 Superfoods to boost kid's diet
"Superfoods" are packed full of nutrients that have wide-ranging health benefits. Some critics think it's misguided to focus on only a handful of healthy foods, but nobody argues that these foods pack a powerful nutritional punch.

Bottom line? Even if you can only wrangle one of these onto your kid's plate, you're doing good — and you may initiate a food habit that will help your child's health throughout her life.

1. Avocado
Avocadoes are the only fruit laced with monounsaturated "good" fats that may lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, which can harm the heart. The avocado is also a super source of soluble fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar. And it's full of vitamin E, which protects your cells from free radicals.

"Try mashing avocado with a little lime or lemon juice and yogurt and using it on quesadillas or tacos — or as a dip for raw vegetables," suggests Jessica Seinfeld.

2. Blueberries
Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants — substances that slow the body's release of chemicals that can damage cells — blueberries can help lower cholesterol, sharpen memory, and fight certain cancers. These little fruits offer big health benefits, whether fresh or frozen.

"I make a purple puree filled with blueberries and spinach that I add to tacos, burgers, pancakes, cookies, and brownies," says Missy Chase Lapine. "Wild, organic, frozen blueberries are one of the most versatile nutrient-rich foods you can disguise in dishes."

3. Oats
These mild-tasting, versatile whole grains help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes, will keep your child feeling full, and aid in escorting bad cholesterol out of the body.

"Serve oatmeal for breakfast," says Chase Lapine. "The old-fashioned rolled oats, not the quick-cooking kind — they offer more fiber and longer-lasting energy. Cook them in milk, rather than water, and top with blueberries for a well-balanced start to the day."

4. Salmon
This cold-water fish contains healthful fats known as omega-3s that can lower the risk of heart disease. These nutrients may also help improve mood and prevent memory loss.

"Make your own fish fingers," recommends Jennifer Iserloh. "Choose wild salmon to reduce your child's exposure to toxic substances such as PCBs and mercury. Adults enjoy these lightly crumbed strips too."

5. Spinach
An excellent source of iron, calcium, and folic acid, along with vitamins A and C, spinach is great for growing bones and brains.

"This versatile vegetable has a mild flavor and cooks in a flash," notes Iserloh. "Stir it into hot soups, toss it into your tomato sauce, and tuck it into quesadillas."

6. Sweet Potatoes
Packed with vitamins B, C, and E, plus calcium, potassium, and iron, sweet potatoes are also rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber, which keeps digestion moving along properly.

"Sweet potatoes are good at preventing a sugar crash, thanks to those complex carbs," says Chase Lapine. "They also add a subtle sweetness to sneaky recipes and work hard to cut the acidity of tomato that some kids dislike in pasta sauces."

7. Yogurt
Rich in calcium and a good source of protein, yogurt helps build strong bones and teeth. It also aids in digestion and fights bad bacteria in the gut.

"Buy plain low-fat yogurt and add your own fresh or frozen fruit to it," recommends Iserloh. "That way, you'll avoid the sugar that's in flavored yogurts. It's so creamy and comforting that most kids go for it."

Top 5 worst foods for your child

From 500-calorie desserts disguised as coffee drinks to greasy, salt-encrusted french fries, we adults usually know when we're making unwise food choices. But often we don't realize that many of the foods we routinely give babies are essentially junk food – high in calories, sugar, or salt, and low in nutrients.

Eating junk food is more damaging to babies than adults. That's because babies don't need many calories, but they do need lots of nutrients. It's easy for them to fill up quickly on junk food's empty calories, leaving no room for nutrient-rich healthy foods, says doctor and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Christine Gerbstadt. The nutrition deficit can even hinder development, she adds.

1) Soda:-
It seems too obvious to mention, but believe it or not, some babies are served soft drinks as early as 7 months of age, according to a survey of more than 3,000 families presented at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference in 2009.
Whether regular or diet, soft drinks provide absolutely no nutrients. Regular soda contains a ton of sugar, which can wreak havoc on your baby's teeth. And filling up on either type means babies eat and drink less of the nutritious food their bodies really need.

2) Juice ( Surprise SUrprise!) :-
Sure, it comes from fruit, but that doesn't mean it's healthy. The fiber in fresh fruit is largely lost in the juicing process, and what's left is a whole lot of sugar. "Juice is basically a waste of calories," says pediatrician Ari Brown, co-author of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year.

Using certain types of juice – specifically apple and pear – to sweeten your baby's food isn't a good idea either, says nutritionist Leanne Cooper, author of What Do I Feed My Baby: A Step-by-Step Guide to Solids. The sugars in these juices can speed up the food's passage through the digestive tract. "When food passes too quickly, the body doesn't have time to absorb all those lovely nutrients," says Cooper. It can also lead to diarrhea in some babies.

What about advertisers' claims that juice provides babies with necessary vitamin C? Don't be fooled. "Babies can easily get their vitamin C from one small serving of fruit," says Brown.

What should your baby drink instead? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies younger than 6 months drink nothing but breast milk or formula. Babies 6 to 12 months old can have small amounts of water, but breast milk or formula should still be their main beverage. (Find out more about when babies can drink water.) After the first birthday, cow's milk is recommended.

3) Crackers
They make convenient snacks once your baby can bite and chew, but it won't take many to satisfy your little one's appetite, leaving no room for nutrient-rich foods. Also, just as eating sweet things can help babies develop a sweet tooth, eating salty things can give them a "salty tooth." The survey presented at the 2009 ADA conference found that nearly three-quarters of toddlers and preschoolers get more than the recommended daily amount of sodium.

The ever-popular fish-shaped crackers fall into this category. "What a waste of calories in a snack," says Brown. "Fruit slices are a much better choice." And if you're looking for an instant grab-and-go snack, low-sugar cereals have more nutritional value than crackers, she says.

4) Processed meals (KFC, MCD IS A BIG NO NO)
People define processed foods in different ways, but in general, the more the food is modified from what was originally caught, raised, or grown – and the longer the list of ingredients – the more processed the food. With heavy processing, foods often lose significant nutritional value and gain unhealthy additives.

"The more processed the food, the more nutritional value tends to go down, and the more the sugar, salt, and fat content goes up," says Kate Geagan, dietitian and author of Go Green, Get Lean.

The worst processed foods parents serve up are the ones not specifically meant for babies, such as canned pasta, says dietitian Eileen Behan, author of The Baby Food Bible. "They often contain way too much sodium." You're better off boiling up some noodles and topping them with a few crushed tomatoes.

5) Gelatin desserts
"You'd be surprised at how many people think a gelatin dessert is a wholesome food for babies," says Gerbstadt. Why the misconception? Many people think gelatin contains protein, perhaps because it's made from processed animal bones and cartilage. But it doesn't, says Gerbstadt – at least, not in any significant amount. "What the baby ends up eating is nearly all sugar, artificial color, and artificial flavor, and a trace amount of gelatin to make it wiggly," she says.

True, gelatin is easy to swallow, but then again, so is Gerbstadt's own idea of a healthy dessert: a baked, mashed apple with a sprinkle of cinnamon. "It's naturally sweet and has good fiber, vitamins, and a yummy, smooth texture," she says. "That's what I'd opt for."