Is a vegetarian diet suitable for my babies?

Myth: Babies/young children taking vegetarian food will be lacking in certain nutrients.

Fact:
Vegetarian food for babies can be very nutritious. If you are bringing up your baby as a vegetarian, it means that you probably won't give him any meat, fish, seafood or animal by-products, such as gelatine. Most vegetarians, however, eat some animal products, such as milk, cheese (there're some made with vegetarian rennet) and eggs.

To help your baby enjoy his food and get the nutrients he needs, offer him a variety of foods from the four main food groups:

• bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods (carbohydrates)
• fruits and vegetables (green leafy vegetables are great source of iron)
• milk and dairy foods (some vegetables such as 黄花、香菜、油菜、洋白菜 contain 463g, 170, 140 and 100 of calcium respectively for every 100g of vegetables and walnuts are a great source of calcium as well)
• cooked-through eggs (including the egg yolk which is a great source of fats, Vitamin A and iron), beans and other non-dairy sources of protein, including soya, pulses, nuts and seeds

Some vegetarian food may have too much fibre and not enough energy (calories) for babies. So make sure your baby gets plenty of energy-rich foods, such as avocado and hummus.

It's also fine to give your baby white bread, pasta and rice as well as wholegrain versions. This is because too many high-fibre foods can stop him from absorbing important nutrients, such as calcium and iron.

Your baby will also need a source of milk. Oat, rice and soya milks (even if they are calcium-enriched) do not provide the same amount of energy, protein or essential nutrients that breastmilk and formula milk provide. Find out what some experts have to say about soya formula milk.

If you need advice on which milk is suitable for your baby, talk to your health visitor, practice nurse or a dietitian. They may suggest you continue to breastfeed or give your baby formula milk for longer than you were initially planning.

TK follow-on formula and where to get

TK was taking Wyeth S26 stage 1 at birth till 6m.
His Uncle R bought the 700g refill box for RM50, and a tin of 900g costs more than RM70.

Now at 6m+, TK has been using EnfaProA+ stage 2.

His Uncle R bought the 650g refill box for RM58.80, while a tin of 1.8kg costs S$76.80 in local supermarket.

Biofactors for Older Infants

- breastfeeding is the best possible way of meeting your infant’s nutritional needs
- nature safeguards babies’ growth and health by providing the most complete food
- breast milk contains everything a young infant needs to develop & thrive

- human milk is a complex blend of over 200 biofactors
- biofactors are nutrients and ingredients that enhance growth, health, and development
- although each biofactor is individually important, it takes a unique combination of biofactors to provide superior nutrition for older infants

- as weaning begins, solid foods should be an addition to—not a replacement for—usual milk
- many experts recommend the use of follow-on formula to ensure that weaning infants meet the minimum requirements for essential nutrients
- biofactors that optimally suit their developmental needs from age 6 months onward

- no one ingredient makes a follow-on formula unique compared to other formulas
- it’s the optimal combination of biofactors in balanced amounts that supports your child’s health and development today and enhances future potential

How does follow-on formula help my baby’s overall health?

- as your older baby becomes more mobile, he or she will be exploring and interacting with many people and objects
- along with experiencing many delightful discoveries, your baby will also likely encounter many germs, bacteria, and viruses

- researchers have found that certain nutrients called nucleotides may produce favorable effects on immunity.
- nucleotides are found in food, but most early weaning foods, such as fruit and vegetables, tend to be poor sources of nucleotides
- older babies may benefit from formula fortified with nucleotides

- nucleotide fortification resulted in a modest improvement in some antibody responses
- babies fed formula fortified with nucleotides had a lower incidence of diarrhoea than babies fed formula without nucleotides.
- 5 key nucleotides to help in the development of a healthy immune function

How does follow-on formula help my baby adjust to a weaning diet?

- during the second 6 mths of life, your baby’s digestive system and kidneys are maturing, but face new challenges from solid foods
- while your weaning baby will be getting more nutrients from solid food, it is important to remember that the baby’s system is still a bit immature

- baby’s system may not fully process all of the new foods
- not unusual to find vegetable skins & other undigested food particles in your baby’s stools during this time
- follow-on formula can help ensure that your baby easily absorbs the necessary nutrients
- nucleotides—nutrients that help your baby’s intestine develop and absorb nutrients

- it’s important to remember that even older babies can be vulnerable to dehydration—loss of significant amounts of body water—during fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, and hot weather
- protein and electrolytes—the elements that help regulate the body’s balance of fluids
- this puts less stress on baby’s kidneys

How does follow-on formula help my baby grow?

- babies grow an average of 10 cm during the second 6 mths of life, and most triple their birth weight by their first birthday
- older infants need 9-12 grams of protein per day to help build new tissues
- weaning diets are often low in protein

- cereals, fruits, and vegetables—typically the first weaning foods offered—contain little protein
- follow-on formula is important for ensuring proper protein nutrition during weaning
- calcium is also critical for help in strengthening older babies’ rapidly growing bones