With increasing interest in health and wellness, more people are discovering the benefits of eating whole foods. Many parents are becoming more savvy about their dietary choices and want to make similar healthy decisions for their infants and toddlers.

But with so many available food options, maintaining this goal can be difficult. Grocery store aisles are filled with packaged, refrigerated, and frozen processed foods, making unhealthy temptations plentiful. Still, there are good reasons you, as a parent, should prioritize a whole-food diet for your child.

» Discover the power of whole foods for your kid's growth

What Are Whole Foods?

Despite the popularity of this phrase, it may not be clear exactly what "whole foods" means. And no, it does not refer to a specific grocery store chain. A whole food is the food itself or that has undergone little to no processing.

Here are some common examples of whole foods that you can incorporate into your family's diet:

• Fresh vegetables in their natural state
• Whole fruits, either fresh or frozen, without additives
• Whole grains such as wheat, rice, corn, quinoa, and buckwheat
• Legumes, including beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas
• Edible fungus, otherwise known as mushrooms
• Nuts in their shells
• Fish, poultry, or meat directly from the source

» Find out the best ways to introduce toddlers to whole foods

Whole vs. Processed Food: What's the Difference?

It is usually easy to identify a fruit, vegetable, or nut as a whole food. For other types of foods, it may be less noticeable. Because of this issue, the NOVA Classification was developed to provide clarity. It outlines the distinct categories of processing commonly used in the food industry.

Here are the different categories of food processing according to the NOVA Classification:

• Unprocessed foods are those directly obtained from plants, fish, or animals.
• Minimally processed foods have been cleaned, pasteurized, or dried. Examples include dried herbs, shelled nuts, unsweetened yogurt, and pasteurized milk. The removal of dirt and debris from grains and legumes also qualifies.
• Processed cooking and baking items include Himalayan or sea salt, sugar, seed oils (i.e., grapeseed), and butter. This category also provides honey directly from a honeycomb and syrup from maple trees that have been pasteurized.
• Processed foods are those in which a manufacturer changes or modifies the food before packaging it for sale. Examples include canned foods, fruit in syrup, cheese, deli meats, tomato paste, and packaged frozen meals.
• Ultra-processed foods are products that contain some aspect of food but also ingredients that are created in a laboratory. Common examples include sweetened juices, cheese balls, yogurt puffs, instant foods, hot dogs, fish sticks, and chicken nuggets.

When planning meals for your baby or toddler, it is best to primarily feed them whole foods. This means introducing them to food at the time of initial exposure when they are most impressionable.

» Check out the benefits of whole foods for your kid

What Do Doctors Recommend?

For years, the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics have supported the early introduction of healthy foods. They recommend starting "first foods" at six months old when growing babies need protein, iron, and other nutrients.

These organizations emphasize two critical points in their recommendations:

1. Offering a variety of foods is essential for proper nutrition and development
2. Foods may be introduced in any order but should be introduced one at a time to monitor for potential allergic reactions

Infant diets should consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains (often in cereal form), and animal and plant-based proteins. In addition to iron, sources of zinc, calcium, iodine, and vitamins D and A are necessary. A diet of whole foods can help babies get all these essential nutrients.

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5 Reasons To Introduce Whole Foods to Kids

1. Expands a Baby's Palate
2. Early Introduction Reduces Food Allergies
3. Provide Essential Nutrients
4. Reduce Exposure to Harmful Ingredients
5. Support Gut Health and Immunity

1. It Expands a Baby's Palate

An infant's palate is like a blank canvas; different flavors are added to create a "collage" of food preferences. By offering mashed or puréed fruits and vegetables, babies learn how each one tastes and feels inside the mouth. Even if disliked on the first try, it may be accepted when offered a few weeks later.

Continued exposure to whole foods at family mealtimes helps to encourage healthy toddler eating habits. Parents' food choices significantly influence what kids will and will not eat. If meals include more processed than whole foods, this may become their default choice.

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2. Early Introduction Reduces Food Allergies

In the past, it was believed that certain foods should be avoided until age two or three because the risk of allergic reactions was too high. Commonly avoided foods were wild, eggs, and fish. Fortunately, introducing them as young as six months prevents these food allergies.

It is safe to feed infants well-cooked, mashed eggs and fish. Because nuts are a choking hazard until age four, nuts should be offered as nut butter and mixed into other foods. Parents should choose a nut butter free of sugar, salt, and other additives.

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3. Whole Foods Provide Essential Nutrients

Dietary protein is essential for muscles, healthy skin, and overall body functioning. Strong muscles support crawling, standing, walking, and, eventually, running. Infant and toddler brains need proteins and nutrients to process information while learning speech and social skills.

Here are some excellent whole-food sources of essential nutrients:

• Protein sources include eggs, meats, buckwheat, poultry, beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
• Dark green vegetables, meats, whole grains, eggs, beans, and poultry contain iron, which is essential for brain development and red blood cell production.
• Zinc for immune system support comes from meat and fish
• Vitamin D for strong bones and immune system support is found in fortified whole grain cereal, milk, and plant-based milk alternatives
• Vitamin A for heart and eye health is present in carrots, dark green vegetables, orange-colored fruits, meat, eggs, and fish
• Calcium for strong bones and tooth enamel can be obtained from dairy, soy, broccoli, kale, and watercress
• Iodine for thyroid gland and brain development is found in seaweed and dairy products

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4. Whole Foods Reduce Exposure to Harmful Ingredients

Whole foods have no added sugar or salt and are free of hydrogenated vegetable oils, also known as trans fats. Kids who regularly consume foods with added sugar and unhealthy fats have an increased risk of obesity by 30 months. Offering whole foods early in life can reduce this risk, as well as future cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.

Added salt in processed and ultra-processed foods is also problematic. Developing kidneys cannot filter sodium efficiently. Too much dietary salt irritates the immature kidneys and can cause high blood pressure later in life. Offering a diet of whole foods without added salt lowers this risk.

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5. Whole Foods Support Gut Health and Immunity

There have been increasing discussions about infants' intestinal microbiome. This term refers to the nonpathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other organisms that create a balanced environment within a baby's intestines. It provides a layer of protection against inflammation and blocks the passage of infections into the bloodstream.

A healthy infant microbiome offers several benefits:

• Enables proper food digestion
• Reduces gassiness and discomfort
• It helps prevent food sensitivities and allergies

It's also thought essential signals are sent from the intestinal nerves to the brain and endocrine glands, influencing their function.

How is the microbiome kept healthy?

A diet of mostly whole foods supports the microbiome. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide prebiotic fiber for intestinal "healthy" bacteria. Whole-food protein sources increase the amounts of other beneficial intestinal flora. So, introducing a variety of whole foods into the diet supports an infant's gut microbiome and promotes overall health.

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Give Your Baby the Best Start with Whole Foods

Understanding the benefits of whole foods is just the first step—including them in your daily routine is where real change happens. Start by dedicating time on weekends to meal planning and preparation. Simple actions like washing and cutting vegetables in advance or preparing homemade baby food in batches can make weekday meals more manageable.

When you need to rely on prepared foods, become an informed label reader. Avoid products with minimal ingredients and added sugars, salt, or artificial preservatives. Options like Else Nutrition offer minimally processed nutrition made from whole foods ingredients, providing convenience when time is limited.

Remember that every food choice you make today is an investment in your family's health tomorrow. By making these healthy decisions early in your child's life, you're not just providing immediate nutrition you're establishing eating habits that can benefit them throughout their lifetime.

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