Avacado

Look at www.calorieking.com. it gives you nutritional values for nearly every food.

Avocados are a good fruit, however, high in fat content. It's good fat, however, too much of even a good thing can be damaging.

Avocados are chock-full of good fats that babies need for brain and other development. Many experts feel that they are the most perfect food for babies. Some babies don't tolerate them well until they're older, so introduce it early in the day. You don't want to be up all night with a vomiting, miserable baby like I was! We tried them again recently (he's almost 11 months now), and he did fine. However, most babies love avocado from the get-go. Mine just has a sensitive little tummy.

If you don't have it, you should look at this book called Super Baby Food. It's lacto-ovo vegetarian, and extremely useful.

Avocados are very good for hair and skin for your baby. When my daughter was about 6 months old, that was one of her first favorites.. a fruit I could get her to eat at any sitting. I always used the haas avocados (with the hard outer shell) they are just easier to make into a guacamole I think.

Hello, I have a two year old and when she was starting soilds she loved avocado. Avocado's are full of dietary fiber. They are really easy to feed, just make sure they are ripe enough to smash.

My daughter loved avocado mashed with bananas. I felt better knowing she was eating natural foods.

avocado is a fabulous first food. it's packed with linoleic acid that is crucial for brain development. Hass taste the best! a great book you should pick up is Simply Natural Baby Food. I bought it at the Sacramento Coop. It's by Cathe Olson and it is a great resource for vegetarian moms.

Also,
Check out this website for great food ideas!!!!

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com

Sweet potatoes are another great finger food. Just cut them up and steam them!

Good Luck,
K.

avacado was the 2nd food our son tried. i've heard it described as a "complete" food. i just buy the kind in the grocery store. it's great because you don't have to cook it. it mashes easily and you can take it along without much fuss. good luck!!

Oh hello!!! I'm also a vegetarian, so is my 2 year old son....avacado is wonderful to feed them; I'm not sure of the nutritional content, but I do know that since vegetarians don't get much fat from other foods, avacado is ideal for adding the missing fat. I ate at least 2 a day when I was pregnant because I heard that the good fat in it is so good for brain development. And since a babys brain is still developing, the fat in it is supposed to be really good for them.
As far as which ones are best, the stores here only offer one or two at a time, I think they're Hass.
Bananas are loaded with nutrients too, if he hasn't had those yet I recommend those.
What area are you in? I'd be happy to share whatever info I can with you....

Hello E.,

I am glad you asked the question! I am also a vegetarian and haven't started my son on solids as of yet but it appears he may be ready for it soon. I would have never thought of feeding him avocados for fear of food allergies as avocados are closely related to nuts, or so I have been told. I'll have to check with my pediatrician at the next visit.

My family is from Puerto Rico and avocados is like a staple for people who grow up in the carribean. As a child I was told that it was full of Vitamin A, B, and healthy oils for your skin. Sometimes you would use avocado for a facial mask and after 20 minutes wash it off with a few granuals of sugar and honey. Your face would be soft as a baby's bottom! No kidding!

Here's a link to a site with the exact health benefits of avocado http://hubpages.com/hub/Health_Benefits_of_Avocado

Let me know how your child likes the avocado!

very good question. I've been wondering the same thing. after i read the responses below, i went out and bought some avocadoes. cant wait to try them and see how things go.

i wonder if it makes elimination a bit easier since there is all that natural oil involved.

HI E.,

Avocados are packed with vitamins, nutrients phyto-chemicals and healthy fats:

Vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant known to slow the aging process and protect against heart disease and various forms of cancer.
Lutein - protects against prostate cancer and eye disease such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Glutathione - functions as an antioxidant like vitamin E to neutralize free radicals that can cause cell damage and lead to disease.
Beta-sitosterol - lowers blood cholesterol levels. Avocados contain four times as much beta-sitosterol as oranges, previously reported as the highest fruit source of this phyto-chemical.
Monounsaturated fats - heart-healthy fats proven to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and boost HDL (good) cholesterol.
Folate - promotes healthy cell and tissue development. Folate is especially important for woman of childbearing age as it helps protect against birth defects.
Potassium - helps balance the body's electrolytes. Avocados contain 60 percent more potassium than bananas.
Magnesium - helps produce energy and is important for muscle contraction and relaxation.
Fibre - lowers cholesterol and reduces risk of heart attack.

When you buy avocados for immediate consumption, select fruits that yield to gentle pressure. Avocados continue to ripen off the tree. For longest storage, place unripe fruits at 5-10 °C, ripe fruits at 2-5 °C. Do not store avocados at 0 °C or below, because this will damage the fruits.

Here is the best tip I can give you. If nature made it you really can't go wrong.

Hope this helps.

L. C
Personal Nutritionit
www.herbalmom.com