When can babies eat oil? Can babies eat oil?

Can babies eat oil? Oil is a traditional essential product for cooking. Today, I will introduce to you how to use oil to make complementary food for babies. Babies need to add complementary food when they are six months old. So, how should babies eat oil? Please see the detailed introduction below.

When can babies eat oil?

1. From birth to 6 months: complementary foods have not yet been added, and the baby's entire nutrition source is breast milk or formula milk, so cooking oil is not needed at this time.

2. 6 months to 1 year old: Children at this stage have already started to eat complementary foods. Mothers can add a little oil when making complementary foods for their babies. For example, a few drops can be added to various porridges, pastes or small noodles. Babies at this stage get about 30%-40% of their total calories from cooking oil every day. The appropriate amount of consumption is 5-10 grams per day, which is equivalent to half a spoonful to a spoonful of a small household porcelain spoon.

3. 1 to 3 years old: During this period, almost all foods can be eaten. It is recommended that mothers fry some vegetables and meat for their children. As the baby grows older, the calories obtained from cooking oil will gradually decrease to 20%-30% per day. The total amount of oil recommended by experts is 20-25 grams per day, which is two spoons per day.

That is to say, babies can add a little cooking oil to their food at 6 months old, and the amount added will change as the baby grows.

How old can babies eat oil?

If mothers want to know the answer, they first need to understand when babies need and can digest fats. In fact, babies have been exposed to fats since birth. About 50% of mothers' breast milk is fat, which is the main source of energy for babies from 0 to 6 months old. There are many types of fats in mothers' breast milk, among which medium-chain fats and short-chain fats that are not seen in the general diet account for a part; in particular, the structure of the fat chain is relatively unique, which is easier for babies to digest and absorb and maintain intestinal health, which is why breast-fed babies are not prone to constipation. Of course, the formula composition of milk powder also simulates breast milk as much as possible, but it is still difficult to completely imitate the fat composition of breast milk. So from the above we can see that babies from 0 to 6 months old do not need to supplement fats regardless of whether they eat breast milk or milk powder.

After 6 months, the baby needs to add complementary food. The nutrients in breast milk can no longer fully meet the baby's nutritional needs, including the need for fat. At this time, you can gradually add edible oil to the baby.

Oil not suitable for babies and pregnant women

1. Soybean oil and corn oil

The soybean oil that we adults often use will cause its linoleic acid to oxidize and produce harmful substances when frying; the linoleic acid content of sunflower oil is too high; the linoleic acid content of corn oil is high and it is not heat-resistant; therefore, they are not suitable for babies and can easily cause diarrhea in babies.

2. Flaxseed oil

In addition, although flaxseed oil is a precursor of DHA and EPA, studies have shown that long-term use of flaxseed may cause diarrhea, bloating, nausea, etc., and may be unsafe for pregnancy. Some studies have shown that eating flaxseed oil in the second and third trimesters may increase the risk of premature birth. Pregnant women should also try to avoid consuming flaxseed oil. If they do consume it, they must choose a big brand. And when choosing it for babies, they should also be cautious.