Babies between 0-3 years old undergo a critical period in terms of their development. By the age of 1, babies begin to learn many abilities such as sitting unsupported and chewing. To support your baby’s development, you should also pay attention to their nutrition during this period. The World Health Organization recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months and then continue to breastfeed with complementary foods until the age of 2. During the first 6 months, your baby should receive all their nutrition from breast milk. Once your baby reaches 6 months of age, you can start introducing complementary foods. During this period, your baby can also start consuming olive oil.
How Much Olive Oil Can Babies Consume?
You should also plan the amount of complementary food according to your baby’s age. For example, between the ages of 6 to 8 months, you can offer two complementary food meals of 125 milliliters each. From 9 to 12 months, you can increase this to three meals of 125 milliliters each. You can use approximately half a teaspoon of olive oil for every 60 milliliters of your baby’s meal. When choosing olive oil, make sure it doesn’t contain any chemicals and hasn’t undergone industrial processing. You can easily add olive oil to your baby’s complementary foods. If you want to introduce olive oil to your baby’s diet for the first time, you can follow the 3-day rule. The 3-day rule is used to determine if babies have any reactions to new foods during the complementary feeding period. After introducing olive oil to your baby for the first time, you can wait for three days before introducing any new food that they haven’t consumed before, allowing you to conduct a minor allergy test.
Benefits of Olive Oil for Babies
When consumed with food, olive oil not only provides energy and facilitates digestion but also aids in the utilization of certain fat-soluble vitamins within the body. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning they require fats for absorption and utilization in the body. For instance, when you feed your baby carrot juice containing vitamin A, the vitamin may not be absorbed sufficiently on its own. However, when consumed with a meal containing fat, such as olive oil, the fat in the meal aids in the absorption of vitamin A from the carrot juice. If you’re considering offering carrot juice to your baby as a snack, you can add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil to enhance the absorption of vitamin A.
By incorporating olive oil in this way, not only does it aid digestion but it also supports the activation of vitamin A within the body. This principle applies to other vitamin A-rich foods such as apricots, squash, broccoli, and spinach. Vitamin D also plays a crucial role in the growth and development of children, protecting muscles, and contributing to the development of bones and teeth. One of the significant benefits of vitamin D is its role in supporting and strengthening the immune system. Occasionally, it may be necessary to provide babies with sources of vitamin D such as egg yolks, fish, and olive oil. Since not all vitamin D may be active, exposure to sunlight is also essential. Therefore, when giving olive oil to babies for this purpose, ensure they also receive adequate sunlight exposure.
Similarly, the absorption of vitamin E can be facilitated by olive oil, making it more bioavailable for the body. It’s crucial to select the right type of olive oil for this purpose. Extra virgin olive oils are suitable options for babies. Additionally, the reputation and quality of the brand producing the olive oil are equally important. When shopping, opt for well-known brands that offer quality and healthy products. By doing so, you can introduce the taste of olive oil to your baby while ensuring their health and well-being.
