How to help your baby's kidneys

A baby's kidneys are very immature and therefore less able to filter out toxins, pesticides and other harmful chemicals.Buy organic whenever possible. This will significantly reduce the amount of chemicals that your child consumes. Organic fruit and vegetables are particularly important as babies eat far more of these foods per kilogram of bodyweight than adults.

Senstive Mouths of Toddlers

A baby's mouth is much more sensitive to heat than an adults.Foods should be given at room temperature or lukewarm. If re-heating in microwave, heat until piping hot all the way through, allow to cool then stir thoroughly to get rid of any hotspots. Finally, remember to always check the temperature before giving it to your baby.

Weaning and Iron

Your baby is born with almost all the iron he/she needs to get through the first 6 months of life. He/she gets it from you during the last two months of pregnancy. Iron is important for brain development as well as ensuring a strong resistance to infection. After approximately 4 months these iron stores will start to become depleted so it is important to include foods that contain iron in your baby's diet such as broccoli, green cabbage, kale, watercress, parsley, peas, whole boiled lentils and iron fortified baby cereals (e.g. rice based varieties).

Did you also know that feeding your baby with foods that are rich in Vitamin C such as green leafy vegetables, kiwi fruit, strawberries or blackberries, papaya or mango at the same meal will greatly increase iron absorption?

Weaning Organically

A baby's kidneys are very immature and therefore less able to filter out toxins, pesticides and other harmful chemicals.Buy organic whenever possible. This will significantly reduce the amount of harmful chemicals that your child consumes. Organic fruit and vegetables are particularly important as babies eat far more of these foods per kilogram of bodyweight than adults.

Why not finish off your baby's iron rich meal with a couple of spoons of pureed mango and kiwi fruit? This desert is packed with Vitamin C, really easy to prepare and tastes delicious.