• Published by Mezia Mujahidah  

Here are the Benefits of Avocados as a Complementary Food for Breast Milk for Your Little One

After being exclusively breastfed for 6 months, it's time for your little one to be introduced and given food other than breast milk. Because after the age of 6 months, your little one is allowed to consume complementary foods for ASI (MPASI). The introduction of food to your little one usually starts by giving softened porridge or rice, then added with various types of fruit. One of the fruits most often used by mothers for their little one is avocado. This is because avocados have a soft texture and a variety of flavors that can train your little one's taste buds with fresh, sweet and slightly bitter flavors.

Avocados also contain lots of nutrients, calories and good fat content and their nutritional content makes this fruit very suitable as one of the MPASI menus for the baby. This green fleshy fruit has many benefits for your little one's growth and development as the protein content it has is higher than other fruits. In addition, avocados also contain only a small amount of carbohydrates, so this will not make our babies consume too much sugar.

This fruit, which originates from Central America, contains lower levels of phytate and oxalate than other sources of fiber, so avocados can minimize the loss of many other important minerals because of these substances. The most important benefits of avocado for your little one are monounsaturated fatty acids which function to reduce various kinds of inflammatory risks, the antioxidants will protect our baby from things that cause inflammation and irritation, especially inflammation of the skin. The content of omega 3 fatty acids is also very useful for supporting the development of the baby's brain.

Also keep in mind, consuming avocados for your little one regularly can protect the liver and other diseases related to the liver. Its antioxidant content can also neutralize free radicals in the body so that our baby's immune system is stronger and less susceptible to disease. Folate content, vitamins C, B6 and riboflavin in avocados can help absorb iron, so giving avocado as solids can prevent anemia from an early age in your little one.

Not only because of the various kinds of nutritional, vitamin and mineral content in avocados that make this fruit one of the favorites for mothers as a solid menu, but also because of its practical and easy texture, taste and presentation. Before serving avocados for your little one, it is very important for parents to be smart in choosing and buying fresh avocados without chemicals. Choose an avocado that has a slightly darker skin color and feels soft when pressed, avoid avocados that are too hard or too soft for your little one to consume.

 For serving, parents can choose an easy and practical way. The fruit can be sliced ​​and then blended or can be softened using a spoon. When your baby is 8 or 9 months old, you can give your little one sliced ​​avocado in an elongated shape. Apart from being beneficial for growth and development, this method can also train fine motor skills and coordination of the baby's mouth and hands. So, enjoy making MPASI menus for your little ones with your family.

By : Mezia Dewi Pratiwi, S.Pd, from the BehaviorPals Center, Jakarta

Bibliography

https://www.halodoc.com/artikel/manfaat-alpukat-sebagai-mpasi-untuk-bayi

https://www.halodoc.com/artikel/alasan-buah-alpukat-baik-untuk-menu-mpasi-bayi

Avocados, Complementary Food

Baby 6 Months - 18 Months / Bayi 6 - 18 Bulan / General Health / Kesehatan Umum / Health / Kesehatan / Here are the Benefits of Avocados as a Complementary Food for Breast Milk for Your Little One

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