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By Monica Bearden, RD and Shara Aaron, MS, RD, Authors of the Baby Fat Diet: A busy mom’s guide to losing weight and looking fabulous
New moms and moms-to-be, there's great news! Foods with DHA are here and even more are coming. DHA is the omega-3 fatty acid that's crucially important for a developing baby. The most important time for baby to get it is in the womb - 2nd and 3rd trimesters - and in the first few years of life.
The reason it's so important is that it promotes visual and brain development for the growing baby. Studies show higher IQs and vision scores in babies that get more DHA - it's the reason so many formulas are now fortified with DHA. The typical U.S. diet is pretty low in DHA since it comes from fish and most Americans just don't eat that much of it. So moms need to either take supplements when expecting and nursing or eat foods rich in DHA.
Fortunately, DHA fortified foods are appearing on shelves. This is great news for those who don't like to eat fish or limit intake for other reasons (mercury can be a concern, however a new study did show that the benefits from eating fish in terms of baby's development far outweigh any risks from excessive mercury, so you're better off eating it than not eating it).
Here are just some of the foods you now in stores with DHA added: Horizon organic milk fortified plus DHA; Yoplait kids yogurt; Silk plus omega 3 DHA; Bellybar nutrition bars, shakes and chews; Oh Mama! nutrition bars. They're all made with a DHA called life'sDHA that comes from algae, so it's vegetarian. YoBaby Plus whole milk yogurt with cereal also has a version with DHA. That one is from purified fish oil.
Bottomline: If you're pregnant or nursing eat foods rich in DHA: fish, supplements or fortified foods. You need about 300 mg per day. For toddlers on up, make sure they eat or drink foods with DHA as well. There is currently no official recommendation for the amount of DHA a child should have (some say 17 mg/100 calories, which is the amount in formula) but make sure your child gets at least 200-300 mg per day.
Monica Bearden, RD is a registered dietitian and weight loss expert, helping countless women lose weight. She teaches groups of pregnant women how to gain the weight in a healthy way and then helps women to lose the baby fat. After years of helping people lose weight and keep it off as well as writing numerous health and wellness articles, Monica Bearden now brings you tried and true tips for losing the baby fat. She is also co-owner of NutCom, LLC a nutrition communications company and is a certified fitness instructor.
Shara Aaron, MS, RD is a registered dietitian with years of healthy eating and weight loss communication experience. Starting as a nutrition and health editor for Family Circle magazine and now the nutrition columnist and member of the advisory board for American Baby Magazine, Shara teaches moms how to eat healthfully and feed their families. Shara has also written for www.Kaboose.com, Parents Magazine and Family Circle and is co-owner of NutCom, LLC, a nutrition communications company.