How to Buy Healthy Foods for Babies

A baby has a somewhat simple life--all he has to do is grow. But as a parent, you supply what your baby needs so he can accomplish his task. Proper nutrients help build strong bones and muscles, and help your baby's brain to develop. What you feed your baby now will impact his health for the rest of his life, so it's important to buy the right kinds of foods.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Load up on fruits and vegetables. These are a great source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Plus, feeding your baby fruits and vegetables now increases the chance of him choosing a healthy diet when he's older.
2. Buy foods that are at their freshest. Studies show that fresh foods are more nutritious. Processed foods have less nutritional value, and they're usually more expensive than fresh foods.
3. Choose fresh over frozen. This applies to fruits, vegetables and everything else you might purchase for your baby. When foods are frozen, cells in that food can be damaged. But frozen foods are a better option than canned foods because canned foods have even less nutritional value than frozen varieties.
4. Map out your grocery store and do most of your shopping on the outside sections. This is where you'll find your meats, produce and dairy, all vital elements to your baby's diet.
5. Skip the jars and make your own baby food. This way, you can control what your baby eats without all the preservatives that can be found in jarred baby food. And studies show that babies who ate homemade baby food had an easier transition to table food, and chose healthier foods like fruits and vegetables.