Glossary of Ingredients

When I started following a gluten-free diet I had not ever heard of many of the ingredients required for gluten-free baking but I had become a bit of a food detective (suspiciously checking all food labels).

As such, I spent many hours researching information on each of these foreign ingredients – because I needed to know where they came from and what their nutritional information was before I was going to put them in my body, or Mila’s.

If this is a new way of eating for you, I trust this section will be a great resource in your food discovery journey.

Another reason for including such in-depth information is that if you, like me, are passionate about feeding your little one as nutritious a diet as possible, then simply knowing that “vegetables are good for you” will not be enough.

I am interested in knowing exactly what vitamins, minerals and other compounds are in each food, how they are used, and why they are needed by the body.

When avoiding certain foods (such as dairy) I feel it is very important to substitute those foods with others that have a similar nutritional value.

Dairy, for example, is a source of calcium, fat and protein. These are all needed by your growing child.

When dairy was not an option for Mila, I discovered that foods such as baobab powder, hemp powder, coconut oil and eggs are great sources of calcium, fat and protein and by including them in her diet, I eliminated the nutritional need for dairy.

The majority of the information from this section has been sourced from The George Mateljan Foundation for The World’s Healthiest Foods website. The foundation develops and shares scientifically proven information about the benefits of healthy eating and the nutritional content of a wide range of ingredients.

Each ingredient has the following information:

1. Ingredient Overview

2. Allergen Status

3. Introduction Age

4. Selection

5. Storage

6. Preparation/Use

7. Nutritional Value & Health Benefits

Some health benefits of foods may be more applicable to the mama’s and papa’s (like cholesterol lowering and heart disease prevention) …. They have been added so that as you become familiar with healthy foods for your little ones, you may find some that can benefit you too.

This glossary can also serve as a useful reminder of the incredible variety of foods that are available.

It is a great idea to introduce a wide variety of flavours to your little one as early as possible to encourage him/her to be an adventurous eater later on.