Key benefits of organic food for babies

12th December 2014

When our baby reaches the age where they can begin eating solids, as a parent, we want to be sure that we are giving them the best food choices that will help aid their growth and development throughout this crucial stage in their lives. With organic food becoming increasingly popular, we’re going to take a look at the key benefits of it for our babies.

What exactly is organic food?

Organic food, is food that has been grown following extremely strict practices. These include:

No antibiotics or hormones
No chemical fertilisers
No chemical pesticides
No genetically-modified organisms
No artificial additives
No chemical herbicides

Instead, organic food uses:

Organic pesticide and herbicide methods
Natural fertilisers
Organic or traditional seeds
All-natural preservatives
Holistic animal husbandry practices

Organic food in general, is full of nutrients that can be absorbed quickly into a baby’s digestive system, helping them to develop well without any potential damage from any harmful chemicals, during their growth.

Here are a few food groups where you could consider opting for the organic range when next doing your food shop:

Milk

Organic milk contain more omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic milk.
Fatty acids are usually found in oily fish and can protect against heart disease, as well as helping with a child’s brain development.

Giving your child 2 portions of oily fish a week can be very beneficial. This includes; salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel and pilchards.

Fruit and veg

Organic fruit and veg has a reduced amount of pesticide residues.
Even with organic fruit and veg, it is always best to wash it before eating. This is because it is still possible that there are pesticides in organic ranges, as the European Union Organic Food regulations do allow some pesticides into the organic farms.

Meat

Non-organic meat is produced by animals that have had regular or prolonged treatment with antibiotics or other various forms of medication, in order to prevent disease.
Whereas organic meat has had limited exposure to any medical treatment.

And for those of you environmentally-conscious parents out there, organic food is also better for the environment. Organic farms raise animals humanely, without the use of medication to suppress disease and work with nature to create nutritious and all round, good food!

Tiny World

Here at Tiny World in Nottingham and Mansfield, we take care of your baby’s well being in every way possible, including their diet. If your child has any special dietary requirements, we make it our job to find out and incorporate this into their range of healthy meals and snacks. For more information about our day care services, please contact the helpful team at Tiny World.