Fat: good or bad for the baby?

In the collective unconscious, fat is synonymous with bad fat or being overweight.
Yet the body and namely the brain need fat to function. Where to find or choose « good » fat to add to your baby’s diet?

Butter and oil are composed primarily of fat, and it is also present in cheese, meat and all industrially cooked products (sauces, biscuits, etc.) where they are often hidden.

It is said that fat is bad when it increases the levels of « bad » cholesterol in the body. In general this is saturated fat part, so it should not be given to babies.

Unsaturated fatty acids are instead beneficial to health. They are called « omega » fatty acids. They help reduce bad cholesterol and the most famous ones are: omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Only food can bring these essential substances to the body, because our body does not produce them. They are found particularly in vegetable oils, fatty fish or nuts.

Vegetable oils

Extra virgin or organic vegetable oil should be the preferred option: they have not been heated, which has preserved good fats and natural active ingredients. Feel free to vary flavours: olive, rape seed, grapeseed, walnut, sesame, flax, etc.

The most common one, olive oil, is perfectly suitable for the baby. The oleic acid it contains promotes bone growth in children acid and its antioxidants are a real armour for the body.

Butter and crème fraîche

Both these dairy products have different virtues, namely vitamin B for butter, and must be part of a varied diet where all food is complementary. The amount of butter should be less than the crème fraîche cream, as its fat content is 3 to 4 times higher. In terms of taste, butter brings out the taste of apples and white fish in the same manner, while crème fraîche will soften the flavour of parsnip or pumpkin for instance.

Its role in terms of taste

Fat is an essential element to transmit taste when it comes to cooking. Thus, the taste of the baby purée, even vegetable-based ones, changes with the addition of a small amount of fresh butter or a teaspoon hazelnut oil at the time of blending. One cannot stress enough that a healthy diet is a desire that must go hand in hand with good food.

Don’t forget:

Each fat has a different function in the body. Vary as much as possible the food where they are present: meat, eggs, fish and dairy products.

Pay attention to added fat. Oil and butter are allies and use them raw as much as possible for the baby.