There are many different nutrients that we need to help our bodies grow strong and function properly. For babies, many of these are absolutely crucial to ensuring proper development and growth. While many parents might stress about what the proper amount of nutrients should be, rest assured that your baby will likely be receiving all that he or she needs without any type of nutritional intervention at all. If you are breastfeeding and/or formula feeding, these two sources provide all the fats, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients like fats and carbohydrates that a baby needs. Adding a well rounded and balanced diet of solid foods only serves to complement and enhance the nutrition received from milk. It is most important to offer your baby a well rounded diet of foods so that you decrease the likelihood of needing to use supplements. This chapter will discuss the importance of different vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins for babies at different stages of growth. You’ll also find a useful breakdown of the nutrients and the best food sources of getting those nutrients into your baby’s diet.
