Oil is one of the nutrients that the human body cannot do without, and the development of the body as well as the brain and nerve development of small babies cannot be achieved without oil. So, how old can babies eat oil? How much oil can be eaten? What kind of oil is good for your baby’s health and growth and development? Please give your baby oil after 6 months 99% of edible oil is fat, so when to add oil, we must first understand when the baby can digest fat. Babies are hungry for fat from the moment they are born. Half of the energy provided in breast milk comes from fat, which is absorbed at a rate of 60 to 90 percent, giving babies a strong impetus to grow quickly. PS: However, many parents still can’t wait to add cooking oil to their babies, and in some places there is the custom of giving babies meat for 100 days, so for the sake of your baby’s tummy, try to refuse! How old can babies eat oil? In fact, babies are exposed to fats from the moment they are born, and the fat content of mother’s milk is around 3% to 5%. The variety of fats in mother’s milk is very rich and has a very important role for babies. First of all, the fat in breast milk can provide babies with the energy they need every day. For breastfed babies, about 50% of the energy is provided by the fat in breast milk, and secondly, some fatty acids in breast milk are also important for babies’ neurological development, for example, a variety of unsaturated fatty acids in breast milk such as DHA and EPA are very important for babies’ brain development. After 6 months of age, babies need to add complementary foods, and the nutrients in breast milk can no longer fully meet the nutritional needs of babies, including the amount of fats and oils, so it is time to gradually add cooking oil to babies. How much cooking oil can my baby eat? According to the “Chinese Nutrition Society Women’s Branch” infant and toddler feeding guidelines, the recommended daily amount of cooking oil for babies aged 6~12 months is 5~10 grams; the recommended daily amount of cooking oil for babies aged 1~3 years is 20~25 grams. From 6 months to 1 year: At this stage, children have already started to add complementary foods, so mothers can add a little oil when making complementary foods for their babies. For example, in various kinds of porridge, paste or small noodles, a few drops at the end will do. At this stage of life, babies get about 30-40% of their daily calories from cooking oil, and the amount should be 5-10 grams per day, which is equivalent to half to one spoonful of a small porcelain spoon at home. 1 year old to 3 years old: this period all the food can basically eat, it is recommended that the mother give the child a little fried vegetables and meat. As babies get older, the daily calories from cooking oil will slowly decrease to 20%-30%. The total amount of oil recommended by doctors is 20-25 grams per day, which is two spoons per day. From 3 to 6 years old: At this stage, children’s diets are not much different from those of adults, so mothers should pay attention to the concept of healthy eating from now on, and the recommended amount is 25-30 grams per day. So how exactly do you add cooking oil to your baby? It is recommended to synchronize with the increase in the amount of complementary foods, and if the complementary foods are eaten more, the amount of fats and oils can be increased appropriately. Mothers need to note that the recommended amount does not mean that babies of that age must reach the corresponding amount, but rather that the corresponding amount is gradually reached within that stage. For example, if a child is one and a half years old, it is not necessary to eat 20-25 grams of oil per day, but according to the actual situation of the baby, from the original 10 grams slowly increase, may only eat 15 grams of oil per day, which is also no problem. Tips: principles of oil for making complementary foods When you add complementary foods to your baby at 4 to 6 months, it is best to provide egg yolk, which can provide unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and does not require special oil. 6 to 12 months old babies can add animal and other high-protein food, but still need to add a small amount. When making complementary foods, you can add a small amount of nutritious and seasoned cooking oil, such as walnut oil with high DHA content can be the first choice! After 1 week of age, increase the cooking oil according to the ingredients, but not more. The intake of animal oil should be less, but walnut oil and other similar unsaturated fat fats can be more. Which oils are suitable for babies? How to choose the right cooking oil for your baby is a big question. There are many kinds of edible oils, and we often eat: peanut oil, soybean oil, walnut oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, olive oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil and perilla oil. Seeing so many kinds of some mothers will be dizzy, which oil should be chosen for the baby? In fact, different oils contain different nutrients, for example, walnut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil has a high linoleic acid content; deep-sea fish oil, linseed oil is richer in linolenic acid. The nutritional needs of babies are multifaceted, so it is recommended that in order for babies to eat healthy, it is best to have a balanced diet with a variety of choices. For example, walnut oil suitable for cooling; high smoke point soybean oil, peanut oil suitable for low-temperature frying. Avoid long-term consumption of the same oil with a single component. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that babies up to 2 years old can properly control the intake of saturated fat, and otherwise do not need to be overly controlled. So, give your baby less animal fats such as butter, lard and palm oil, because these fats are mainly saturated fats, which are not good for your baby’s health, and other common fats can be given to your baby.