Many people believe that baby food should be light and bland, not greasy, as this might be hard on a baby's stomach. Actually, that's not the case! Baby food should include some oil. First, you should know that fat is an essential nutrient for growth and development. Babies in their growth phase need fat too! Therefore, it's important to add a moderate amount of oil to their food.
However, it's important to note that while oil can be added, this doesn't mean you should add it freely. Breast milk, formula, and the ingredients themselves already contain fats. You only need to adjust the amount of oil added based on the specific recipe!
Generally, for babies over six months old whose complementary foods mainly consist of plant-based foods like vegetables, grains, and fruits, it's recommended to add an extra 5 to 10 grams of oil!If you're unsure about the amount, use a standard white porcelain tablespoon—one tablespoon is roughly 10 grams. If you're still unclear, here's an example: If your baby's main solid food today is rice porridge or vegetable puree, add one small spoonful of oil.However, if the complementary food itself is already high in fat—like pureed pork liver—you can reduce or omit the oil. If the meal includes fatty foods like eggs or meat, there's no need to add extra oil. Below are recommended daily oil amounts by age group for reference:
Babies 7-12 months: 0-10 grams.
Babies 13-24 months: 5-15 grams.
Toddlers 2-3 years: 10-20 grams.
Children 4-5 years: 20-25 grams.
What kind of oil is best for babies?
In our daily diet, cooking oils are categorized as animal fats or vegetable oils.
Generally, we recommend plant oils for babies because they contain higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid. These two fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be obtained from food. ALA can be converted into DHA in the body, which is highly beneficial for a baby's brain and vision development!Therefore, we suggest moms choose plant-based oils for their babies, such as flaxseed oil, walnut oil, sunflower seed oil, corn oil, sesame oil, or olive oil.