Nutrients to support your baby during the first 1000 days

Part 2

The importance of maternal nutrition in the first 1000 days of a child's life can influence your child’s development.

This starts during pregnancy to their second birthday. It is an essential period when their brain, body, metabolism and immune system grow and develops.

Good nutrition is essential for physical development, social development, emotional, and behavioural development, cognitive development and a healthy immune system.

There are key nutrients that I have included in these 3 recipe suggestions below for pregnancy and postnatal recovery.

Pregnancy – choline, carotenoids, iodine, omega 3, zinc, iron & folate. All are essential for neurodevelopment and cognitive development and influence your child's brain structure, function and processing speed.

Vitamin D- is essential for skeletal development. You are recommended to supplement during pregnancy and postnatal recovery.

Postnatal Recovery - must include all nutrients mentioned above, because you are often depleted after birth, and it’s essential to look after your health, but if you choose to breastfeed you also need to eat foods rich in B vitamins (B12 & B6) and Vitamin A. If you are depleted then so will your milk. Your milk is the only source of nutrients to fuel their growth and development.

Remember their brain in the early years works super hard, developing motor functions such as balance, coordination and posture. The baby is also learning to create and retrieve memories.

If you can’t breastfeed or wish not to, the formula contains most of the nutrients you find in breast milk.

Importance of Fish & Seafood

Remember if you can please continue to eat fish & seafood during and after pregnancy.

Official dietary advice in the UK for pregnant women has been to limit seafood intake.

There is evidence that avoiding or limiting fish and seafood intake significantly impairs children's cognitive, behavioural and social development.

Typical modern diets are now deficient in vital omega-3 fats, therefore we are eating an excess of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats, and lack other key brain nutrients found in fish and seafood. Evidence now shows that this is making a contribution to the current worldwide mental health epidemic.

Recipes

Protein Packed Granola

100g Oats

2 tbsp Quinoa

70g Mixed seeds (linseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame)

90g Mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts) roughly chopped

1/2 tsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

3-4 Dates, stored into a paste with 1 tbsp of water or maple syrup or honey

2tsp Ground ginger

45g Dried fruit, figs, apricots, prunes(optional if keeping sugar down)

Method

Preheat the oven to 150oC

In a large bowl mix the oats, quinoa, seeds and nuts.

In a small bowl mix the olive oil, cinnamon, ginger and date paste. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix with your hands so evenly coated.

Thinly spread the mix over two baking trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Mix well and bake for another 10 minutes.

Allow to cool, add the dried fruits and place in an airtight container.

Tastes great served with yoghurt and mixed berries. Make a large batch, it can last for 2 weeks.

Roasted Vegetable and Feta Frittata

2-3 mushrooms, chopped

2-3 small tomatoes, chopped

Half courgette, diced

1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

Half a red or yellow pepper, diced

3-4 Asparagus spears

1 Handful of fresh spinach chopped

1tbsp Olive oil

6 Eggs

100g Plain Yoghurts

90g Feta

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC

You could roast the vegetables in the tray you are making the frittata.

Line the tray with baking paper, place the diced mushrooms, tomatoes, courgette, sweet potatoes, carrots and peppers, and tumble in olive oil. Roast the vegetables for 10-12 minutes until the sweet potatoes are starting to soften.

Stir the eggs, yoghurt and feta and seasoning. Once the vegetables are roasted pour over the egg mix you may want to sprinkle extra feta over the top. Then bake for 20-25 minutes, when the top starts to brown and the centre is firm.

Cut the frittata into large squares, freeze some for a snack or lunch and enjoy the rest with a salad.

Salmon poke bowl quinoa, lentils and chickpeas

1 tin Chickpeas

200g Cooked lentils

100g Cooked quinoa

1 Courgette, diced

1/2 Cauliflower, chopped

1/2 Butternut or 1-2 small sweet potato, peeled & diced

1 tbsp Olive oil

1tsp Turmeric

1tsp Garam masala

Seasoning

4 Salmon fillets

3-4 Small vine ripe tomatoes

1/2 Pomegranate

100g Sweetcorn, frozen or on the cob

6-8 Asparagus, steamed

Kale

Dressing

4tbsp Plain yoghurt

1tbsp Tahini

1tbsp Olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1tsp Dijon mustard

1tsp Honey

1tsp Garam masala or curry powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC

Roasted Vegetables, add diced butternut/sweet potato, chickpeas, courgette and florets of cauliflower to a roasting tin, add 1tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 garam masala to the vegetables and tumble so well coated. Roast for 20 minutes or until sweet potato is soft.

For the salmon, Marinate in 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1/2 tsp turmeric.

Cook in the oven or air fryer 12-15 minutes

For the Tahini and Yogurt Dressing mix all the yoghurt, tahini, oil, lemon, mustard honey and spices together.

To make the salad, tumble the roasted vegetables with the cooked quinoa, lentils, and sweetcorn, add 2-3 tbsp to your dish, add the kale, tomatoes and asparagus to the dish. Either keep them separate like a poke bowl or mix them together. Add the salmon and dressing.

Enjoy😊

References

Importance of Maternal Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days of Life and Its Effects on Child Development: A Narrative Review

Nutritional Gaps and Supplementation in the First 1000 Days

The first 1000 days: A critical period of nutritional opportunity and vulnerability

Fish Consumption During Pregnancy

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The first 1000 days of a child’s life