Avocado Nutrition and Baby Development

You might be surprised to know that though not a selection in jarred baby food, avocado is an excellent first food for your baby. In fact, renowned pediatrician, Dr. William Sears ranks it #1 on his top ten list of fruits for babies because avocado nutrition is well-suited for a baby's growing development.

Compared to other fruits appropriate for babies (and yes, avocado is a fruit), avocado is considered to have the highest nutritional value packed into it's bumpy, dark green skin. Avocados will nourish your baby as they are rich in protein, fiber, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and zinc. You won't find this sort of diverse nutrient density in many other fruits.

You might ask, so what about the fat content in avocados? Isn't that a problem? Well, it could be if you are an adult trying to lose weight or a mom trying to return to her pre-pregnancy size, but for a baby, not so much of a concern.

The fat calories in avocado are of the heart-healthy variety (no cholesterol, monounsaturated fat), but they do increase your calorie count. That being said, avocados also contain desirable Omega 3 fatty acids and are free of sodium. For a developing, growing baby, the type of fats and the caloric value is a good thing. Particularly, avocados are often recommended as a food for babies, who are aged about 6 months or older and who are experiencing slow weight gain.

If you are looking for avocado for either a higher or lower fat content, you can be choosy on what type of avocado you buy. Florida avocados are considered to have around half the fat and two-thirds the calories of California avocados.

Here's the breakdown of nutrition facts on avocados. Serving size is 1 oz. or about 1/5 of a medium-size California avocado.

• Calories: 50
• Fat calories: 35
• Total fat: 4.5 g
• Saturated fat: .5 g
• Polyunsaturated fat: .5 g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3 g
• Potassium: 140 mg
• Total carbohydrate: 3 g
• Dietary fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Vitamin E: 4%
• Riboflavin: 4%
• Vitamin B6: 4%
• Pantothenic acid: 4%
• Magnesium: 2%
• Copper: 2%
• Vitamin C: 4%
• Iron: 2%
• Thiamin: 2%
• Niacin: 4%
• Folate: 8%
• Phosphorous: 2%
• Zinc: 2%
• Manganese: 2%

Avocado is perhaps one of the simplest purées to prepare for your baby. All you need is a ripe avocado and a fork to mash it with. Alternatively, for babies ready for finger foods, cube it into manageable pieces for them to enjoy.