Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars in the body. Then, these types of sugars circulate in the bloodstream and play an important role in the growth and development of the babies as well as toddlers.
Carbohydrates can be obtained from a wide variety of foods, either the healthy or the unhealthy ones. It’s really important for parents to know the best carbohydrates for children and babies.
Why do babies need carbohydrates? As we all know, carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our body. You can find them in grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables and seeds.
For babies, carbohydrates should make up around 40% of the infant’s calories. An infant approximately needs around 800 calories a day, then it means that they get 320 calories from the carbohydrates.
Then, how beneficial carbohydrates are for the babies? Let’s see each of these following health benefits of carbohydrates for babies.
1. Fuel their brain
Even though they are still babies, they still need to get their brain fueled. They can get the fuel from the carbohydrates which will be turning into glucose.
Carbohydrates will help your babies to be active and alert during the day. Furthermore, they will also make sure that your babies keep growing and learning.
Do you want to know what kind of food that is good for brain? Make sure you check these health benefits of beets for the brain. Some of the benefits are proven!
2. Stimulate growth
Carbohydrates are nutrients that are very essential for the growth of the babies. They are nutrients which are crucial for ensuring tissue growth which is very important in infancy.
An insufficient intake of carbohydrate could have a negative impact on their health in the medium term. So, make sure your babies take sufficient amount of carbohydrates in their diet.
Parents need to ensure that their babies are growing well by providing good nutrients through their food. If you want to find out more about the nutritious food babies need, you can read these health benefits of prunes for babies and health benefits of beets for babies. Not only yummy, they are also beneficial for your baby health.
3. Ensure a good energy status
As we all know, the main function of carbohydrates is to serve as an energy substrate for high-intensity activities. Due to this reason, their consumption is really needed and recommended before exercise to achieve good performance.
Even though your babies are not as active as kids or toddlers, they still require enough energy for moving around and for their growth. In addition, sugars from carbohydrates play an important role in good post-exercise recovery by stimulating the production of glycogen stores, which are the body’s glucose reserves.
To make this process effective, it is suggested to consume these nutrients with a significant dose of high biological value proteins. This will also avoid the risk of getting injury.
4. Contribute to intestinal transit
Complex carbohydrates are related to fiber, which offers some health benefits. First, carbohydrates are not digested in the intestine and they increase the volume of the fecal bolus.
This will accelerate transit and prevent constipation in babies. Constipation in babies would be terrible both for the parents and the babies themselves!
Secondly, fiber guarantees the survival of the good bacteria in the digestive tract. These good bacteria make up the microbiota, a group of good bacteria which inhabit the digestive tract and condition its functioning.
Last but not least, fiber will delay the absorption of carbohydrates. As a result, it will reduce the risk of high blood glucose levels.
Then, what kind of carbohydrates should you give to your babies? First of all, you need to consider the ease of digestion. Babies cannot digest food as much as kids or toddlers do.
So, make sure to find some different types of food which also stimulate the release of the enzymes that help digestion. The examples of the best carbohydrates for babies are sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, carrot and pumpkin.
An easy way to introduce carbohydrates to your baby’s system is by mixing some cooked vegetables with some healthy fats, such as avocado, bone broth, olive oil, or coconut oil. You can start mixing it with bone broth first to stimulate a happy gut. Then, you can mix any carbs for a flavorful meal for your baby.
Are you curious of the benefits of those types of carbohydrates? Then, check some of the benefits by reading these health benefits of cauliflower for babies and health benefits of eating broccoli.
Taking care babies needs a lot of attention and research. As a parent, we are sure that you want to give your best for your babies. If you need some tips regarding to babies health, then you can consider reading these health benefits of sunbathing for baby and benefits of laying baby on stomach.