NOURISHING OUR BABIES

DIGESTION & IMMUNITY
THE DEVELOPING STAGES

DIGESTION & IMMUNITY

• A good diet is essential in maintaining a strong digestive & immune system
• Digestion and immunity rely on each other to function and thrive
• A child's digestion & immune systems continue to develop for several years
• Not all digestive enzymes will be present to break down all food
• Healthy gut bacteria is essential

6-8 MONTHS

6-8 months

• No enzymes to digest carbohydrates
• Keep food simple to lessen the impact on a delicate digestive system
• Irritated digestive system can weaken immune function (bloating, gas, stomach pain)

Food to include

• Vegetables including sweet potato, parsnip, carrot, beetroot, zucchini and avocado.
• Fruit including banana, apple, pear, peach, figs, and plums.
• All food should be steamed and pureed at this stage.

Food to avoid

• Egg white, garlic, onion, citrus and vegetables from the nightshade family including potato, tomato, eggplant and capsicum.

Nourishing Tips

• Add a little coconut oil to purees
• Try roasting and then pureeing for different flavours
• Mix fruit and vegetables
• Fruits that are harder to digest should be cooked (apples, apricots, nectaries, berries)
• Add a small amount of coconut milk to fruit purees

Untitled Slide

• Include a small amount of grain such as brown rice or quinoa
• Soak grains to ease digestion
• Once they have progressed through fruit and vegetable purees, you start to add small amounts of lentils and meats.

8-12 MONTHS

8-12 months

• From 8 months, their digestive system has developed enough to handle a wider variety of food.
• Still avoid gluten grains including pasta, cous cous and cereals.
• Increase other nourishing grains such as brown rice and quinoa.

Nourishing Tips

• Fruit should be softened to ease digestion (cut into larger chunks & softened)
• Milk and milk products can be introduced
• Hard vegetables should be softened but large enough for a child to hold e.g softened carrot sticks
• Garlic and onion - used in moderation

1-2 YEARS

1-2 years

• Digestive system has now developed and they can enjoy a more complex variety of foods
• New foods should still be introduced gradually

Nourishing Tips

• Include legumes such as beans and lentils. Adzuki beans are the most easily digested (beans need to be soaked overnight)
• Give adzuki beans first, then progress to borlotti beans, chick peas and cannellini beans
• Avoid soy products and red kidney beans

Nourishing Tips

• Slowly include natural sweeteners such as pure maple syrup and ray honey.
• Serve legumes with yoghurt to aid digestion
• Include pasta and noodles (in moderation)

Just remember

• Children aged 0-2 do not have the digestive enzymes required to breakdown many foods
• You can quickly and easily make large batches of pureed fruit and vegetables and store in the freezer
• Babies do not require large amounts of food (while still on breast milk or formula)