First breast milk immediately after birth contains more nutrients and brain building substance than any solid food. Breast milk should be the main source of food for a child’s first year of life; and the longer a child is nursed, the better off he or she is as far as receiving the benefits from the wonders of human milk. Starting solids food should be left until a baby is fully ready.
You should start by feeding your baby with egg yolk as it contains essential nutrients important for brain development as they are rich in choline, fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, K and B12. It is also a great source of minerals that are important for growing babies, like zinc, copper and more, good source of natural fats and proteins, good cholesterol and iron. It supplies cholesterol needed for mental development as well as important sulphur containing amino acids. Note that parents who institute the practice of feeding egg yolk to their babies will be rewarded with children who speak and take direction at an early age.
Parents can begin feeding their babies with egg yolk when they are around 7 to 8 months old.
Egg whites or albumen should not be fed to babies less than 12 months because it contains difficult to digest proteins and can trigger an allergic reaction which can sometimes be severe. Start by giving the child a first taste of soft boiled egg yolk from your own plate if the baby likes the little you put in her mouth then give them two to three tastes the next day or after a week. Gradually the baby will be able to consume the whole egg yolk. Never force the child to eat because egg yolk is an extremely rich food and force feeding any rich food on a child can cause the child to vomit.
Eggs can be cooked in lots of ways, including boiling, poaching, frying and even baking. Whichever method you choose, it’s very important to cook eggs thoroughly as giving your baby undercooked egg can be harmful and unsafe. As the child grows older, there are some ingredients you can add eggs to which will help in supply your baby with a valuable boost of nutrients with such little efforts.
Here are ways you can incorporate egg to your baby’s diet when he or she is a year old:
Beat a raw egg yolk in a bowl, and then stir it into oatmeal (porridge) at least 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Stir well, until cooked.
Crumble cooked egg yolk into soups or just about any other food that your baby enjoys! It makes a good thickener if your soups are runny.
Mash cooked egg yolk with ripe avocado; this makes a highly nutritious and tasty toast topper or sandwich filling.
Turn leftover vegetables into something extraordinary. Just pop them into a small, ovenproof dish, pour in a couple of beaten eggs, top with grated cheese and cook in the oven until the eggs are completely cooked and the cheese is golden.
Scramble whole eggs until well done to serve as a squishy finger food, or scramble the yolks by themselves (a little harder to pick up and best served from a spoon)
Mash the yolk and mix in formula, breast milk, yogurt, applesauce or whatever you choose that is appropriate for your baby.
Egg yolks are the ideal first food for babies because they are easy to digest. This is important because a baby’s digestive system is still developing and it’s best to introduce foods that are gentle on their system.
Start by feeding your baby’s first food with egg yolk.
By Mercy Kukah
