Ready to expand your baby's menu? Here are some of the recommended food for 1-year-old babies in the Philippines.
What can you read in this article?
- How often should a 1-year-old baby eat in a day?
- Recommended food for 1 year old baby in the Philippines
- Tips on buying store-bought food and healthy snacking
It seems like only six months ago when your baby started his journey on eating solids. Now he seems like quite a pro when it comes to picking up his food, putting it in his mouth, and even chewing and swallowing.
Now that your baby has hit the 12-month mark, the kinds of food that he is allowed to eat and explore is growing. But that also means that he's more prone to consuming foods that may not be good for his health.
This is also the time when kids start to become more picky with food. But this is to be expected as toddlers try to establish independence and discern their own hunger cues
To help you make sure that your child is still getting the nutrients he needs from food, we've come up with a list of recommended food that is good for 1-year-old babies in the Philippines.
But before we get to that, let's talk about the frequency of eating solid foods and the recommended dietary allowance for 1-year-olds.
How often should my 1-year-old eat solids?
Before your child hit the 12-month mark, milk (breast milk or formula) was his body's main source of nutrients. But now that he has reached age 1, solid food has replaced milk and his body will now rely on the food that he eats to give it the right amount of nutrients he needs in a day.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, by the time they reach 12 months, toddlers need about 1,000 calories, 700 mg of calcium, 600 IU of vitamin D, and 7 mg of iron each day to support their proper growth and development. This means your child should be eating more to consume the amounts mentioned.
Alyssa Miller, a registered dietitian from Denver, Colorado, and the mom behind the Instagram account Nutrition for Littles, says that starting 12 months, children should be eating three meals of solid food a day. When they reach 13 months and over, they can also add a snack to that schedule.
"Remember to be consistent with times of day you’re offering and follow your little one’s lead; if they seem to want to eat more often, do it!" she says.
And as opposed to before where milk comes before any solid food meal, this time around, since food is the primary source of nutrition at this age, the solid food meal should ideally be offered before any milk feeds.
Best food for 1-year-old babies in the Philippines
So, what should your child be eating at age one? Check out our list below:
-
Bananas and soft fruits
Around this time your 1-year-old may have already developed their pincer grasp, a fine motor skill that involves pinching and maneuvering food with their fingertips, as they try to self-feed. This is a great time to introduce finger-friendly foods. You can start with slicing soft fruits like bananas, mangoes, or grapes.
Bananas are rich in potassium that prevents dehydration and other nutrients that support the nervous system, skin health, iron absorption, and blood pressure. Meanwhile, mangoes and grapes are rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps the body absorb iron and prevents diseases.
Aside from their natural sweetness that babies love, these fruits are also rich in fiber which aids in your child's digestion.
Avoid giving your child large pieces of fruits as they may become choking hazards.
-
Avocado
If you haven't fed your child this fruit yet, now is the best time to start. No best baby food list is complete without avocados, because of its high fat content (the healthy kind), and it's packed with other important nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin E and zinc. Another plus is the color and textures that keep kids intrigued.
You can serve avocados mashed or sliced in small pieces. You can also mix it with breastmilk to make a yummy smoothie snack for your 1-year-old.
-
Milk
Food may have replaced it as the primary source of nutrition, but there's no doubt that milk is still essential to a growing child's diet. It is a great source of protein, fat, carbohydrates, zinc, vitamin B12, and especially, calcium and vitamin D. So there is no need to remove it entirely from your child's diet, and he can still feed on demand, granted that he is eating more solids than before.
When it comes to cow's milk, most pediatric organizations have recommended waiting until a baby’s first birthday to introduce cow’s milk as a drink. This is because the digestive systems of babies may not tolerate cow milk protein in large quantities well.
Compared to breast milk or formula, cow’s milk is nutritionally incomplete, which means that it does not provide all of the healthy fats and nutrients that your baby needs to thrive. So if you can, stick to breast milk or formula milk for now.
-
Oatmeal
According to Solidstarts.com, oatmeal is a rich source of good carbohydrates and minerals. It also has more fat and protein than many other grains and is a good source of iron and zinc, which babies need. You can mix oatmeal with your breastmilk and even throw in a few chunks of soft fruits and serve it to your child for breakfast.
-
Rice
Meals in the Philippines are not complete without rice, and why not start introducing your child to this food staple at 1 year old? It is a great source of carbohydrates, which provide the energy that babies need to grow and develop. You can even fortify this by adding some meat or vegetables to your cooked rice.
-
Eggs
New studies show that highly allergenic foods like eggs should be introduced to babies early to help prevent future food allergies. Eggs are a terrific source of protein, with amino acids, as well as choline that supports brain growth.
You can serve eggs in a variety of ways - scrambled, mixed with veggies for an omelet, or just hardboiled and sliced in small chunks. Keep in mind that when serving eggs to a baby, make sure that all parts of the egg are fully cooked to prevent Salmonella, a common bacterium that can result in foodborne illness in the intestinal tract.
-
Leafy vegetables like spinach or pechay
Nutrition and baby experts believe that the more you offer healthy food to your baby, the faster they will develop an appetite for it. So don't forget to include leafy greens in your 1 year old's diet.
Leafy vegetables like spinach and pechay are a good source of iron, B vitamins, vitamin K and the plant-based antioxidant called carotenoids that support a baby’s developing vision.
READ MORE:
Parents’ Guide: 7 best foods for your 6-month-old baby
Picky Eaters Decoded: 8 tips on introducing healthy foods to kids
-
Tofu
Tofu is made from soy, which is considered one of the most common food allergens. But if you and your child's pediatrician have ruled out soy allergy, tofu can be a good addition to your 1 year old's diet as it is a great source of iron, calcium, and protein.
-
Chicken
If your child's love affair with chicken hasn't begun yet, now would be a good time to start. Aside from being a great source of protein, this meat is also packed with nutrients such as vitamins B6 and B12, iron, zinc, choline, selenium, and vitamin B3.
Because chicken can be a choking hazard for babies, be more careful in preparing this food for your 1-year-old. You can let him munch or suck on a fried drumstick with the skin and any loose cartilage, pin bones, and fat removed, or you can cook it and shred it and offer it to him with other veggies.
-
Steamed hard veggies like broccoli and carrots
Steaming vegetables, such as broccoli and carrots, is a great way to introduce your child to this important food group. These vegetables are rich in vitamin C that helps in the absorption of iron and preventing diseases. Carrots is also a good source of lutein, which supports good eye health.
Store-bought food - how to pick the healthy snacks
At age 1, your child might start to explore other foods like crackers and biscuits, which is normal for a growing baby. As much as we want to feed them only homemade food, the reality is giving them store-bought snacks is inevitable.
So instead of removing these food items from your child's diet altogether which seems quite unrealistic, why don't you just check the label to make sure that you're giving your child the healthy kind?
Check the nutrition facts! In one of her Instagram posts, Miller talked about some guidelines on what to look for when getting store-bought snacks for your little one:
- Sodium - ideally below 200 grams
- Fiber - the dietary fiber should be more than 2 to 3 grams per portion
- Sugars - there's nothing bad about natural sugars, but as much as possible, choose products with less or no added sugars especially for children 2 years old and below.
- Protein - depending on whether you're looking for it to be your child's source of protein for that meal, it should be no less than 8 grams. If not, more than 2 grams is acceptable.
As your child continues to grow, allow him to explore food and experiment. Let him try to feed himself. But to make sure that he is getting the nutrients he needs, continue to offer him foods that are healthy and enticing for him to try. Remember, the key is to select foods that are easy-to-chew, soft, and highly nutritious.
If you have any questions about the recommended food for your 1-year-old or his eating habits, don't hesitate to talk to your child's pediatrician about it.