Nourishing with Nature’s Wisdom: Essential Fats for Baby and Toddler Development
Fat is one of the most important macronutrients your baby or toddler needs—especially during the first five years of life when their brain grows rapidly, reaching 90% of its adult size. From brain development to gut health, hormone balance, and immune support, nutrient-dense fats are foundational.
This guide is here to help you understand why fats matter, how much your little one needs, which fats to prioritize, and how to source and use them in real life.
Why Healthy Fats Are Essential for Babies and Toddlers
From the moment your baby is conceived, fat becomes one of the most essential building blocks for their development—and that need only grows as they do.
Here’s a deeper dive into why healthy fats matter so much, especially during infancy and toddlerhood:
Brain Development
The brain is composed of about 60% fat, and 25% of that is cholesterol. Fats like DHA (found in oily fish) and saturated fats (like those in breast milk) are crucial for forming neurons, synapses, and myelin—the fatty sheath that insulates nerves and allows the brain to send messages efficiently.
Without enough fat, babies may face delays in cognitive function, memory, language, and even motor skills.
Hormone Production
Fats are the precursor to steroid hormones, which regulate everything from growth and metabolism to stress response and sexual development. Cholesterol is a vital raw material for these hormones, making it essential for proper endocrine development.
Immune Function
Saturated fats and cholesterol help modulate the immune system, reduce systemic inflammation, and assist the body in fighting infections.
Fat also enhances the body’s ability to absorb immune-supportive vitamins like A and D.
Digestive Health
Fats stimulate bile flow and digestive enzyme production, both of which are crucial for breaking down food and absorbing nutrients.
Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid found in ghee and butter, helps maintain the gut lining and prevent inflammation, which is especially important for babies with food sensitivities or eczema.
Energy & Blood Sugar Regulation
Fats are the most energy-dense macronutrient, providing twice the energy per gram compared to protein or carbohydrates.
Unlike sugar, fat provides long-lasting, stable energy—helping prevent blood sugar crashes that lead to tantrums, meltdowns, or poor sleep.
Growth & Satiety
Babies and toddlers have small stomachs but high nutrient demands. Fats help concentrate calories and nutrients into smaller, more digestible meals.
They also support healthy weight gain and keep little tummies full longer, which helps prevent over-snacking on processed, carb-heavy foods.
Fat-Soluble Vitamin Absorption
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning they require dietary fat to be properly absorbed.
These vitamins are key players in bone health, vision, immunity, and cellular repair—and without fat, they often go to waste.
Breast milk contains 45–50% monounsaturated fats and 50–60% saturated fats, showing us that saturated fats are vital and biologically appropriate.
How Much Fat Should They Have?
It’s debated, but most ancestral-based nutritional practitioners recommend that 30–50% of a child’s calories come from healthy fats. Some research even supports up to 55%, particularly in breastfed infants where the caloric fat content is highest.
The Best Cooking Fats for Little Ones
These are rich in saturated fats and stable at high heat, making them ideal for cooking:
🧈 Ghee (cultured or grass-fed)
Contains butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that supports digestion and gut health
Packed with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2
Free of lactose and casein (when cultured)
🥥 Coconut Oil
Rich in lauric acid and MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides)
Antimicrobial and easy to digest
Supports brain function and metabolism
🐄 Beef Tallow
Stable at high heat, rich in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)
Supports skin, brain, and immune health
Traditionally used in ancestral diets
The Best Fat-Rich Whole Foods for Babies & Toddlers
🥚 Pastured Egg Yolks
Loaded with choline for brain development
Source of vitamin A, D, and healthy cholesterol
🥑 Avocados
Monounsaturated fats + fiber = stable blood sugar and digestion
Source of folate, potassium, and vitamin E
🐟 Wild-Caught Salmon or Sardines
Rich in DHA and EPA for nervous system and eye development
Contains vitamin D and B12
Using Fats in Your Toddler’s Meals
Cook fruits, veggies, and meats in fats (ghee, tallow, coconut oil)
Mix into purées, mashed veggies, or soups
Spread ghee or avocado on sourdough or sprouted breads
Stir into oatmeal or grain-free porridges
Understanding the Types of Fat
1. Saturated Fats
Found in: coconut oil, ghee, butter, tallow, egg yolks, milk
Stable for cooking
Supports cell membranes, hormone production, and brain health
2. Monounsaturated Fats
Found in: avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts
Support heart health and inflammation balance
45–50% of breast milk fats are monounsaturated
3. Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs)
Found in: fish, nuts, seeds (natural sources)
Prone to oxidation and should be balanced with antioxidants (like vitamin E)
Best when consumed in moderation
⚠️ Industrial PUFAs
Found in: canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil
These are manmade, heavily processed, and promote oxidative stress and inflammation
4. Trans Fats
Found in: processed foods, margarine, fast food
Should be avoided entirely—harmful to every system in the body
What Really Caused the Fear of Saturated Fat?
For years, saturated fat was wrongly blamed for heart disease. The Minnesota Coronary Experiment found that replacing saturated fat with linoleic acid (PUFA) did reduce cholesterol, but it did not lower the risk of death. In fact, greater cholesterol reductions were associated with higher mortality.
The saturated fat–heart disease hypothesis linked high cholesterol with heart issues, but newer research shows inflammation is a larger contributor, and cholesterol acts as a protective molecule.
Our ancestors thrived on diets high in saturated fats without the rise in heart disease we see today.
Breast Milk as the Original Blueprint
Breast milk naturally contains:
45–50% monounsaturated fats
50–60% saturated fats
15–25% PUFAs (with natural antioxidants like vitamin E)
High cholesterol, essential for gut health, hormone production, and brain development
Nature tells us the ideal fat profile for babies: high in saturated and monounsaturated fats, and balanced, naturally sourced PUFAs.
What About PUFAs in the Modern Diet?
Natural PUFAs from fish, nuts, and seeds are fine in moderation and offer beneficial nutrients like omega-3s. The concern lies in industrial seed oils (canola, soybean, corn), which are unstable, prone to oxidation, and lacking protective compounds.
PUFAs from nature are accompanied by vitamin E and used in small amounts. But industrial oils are found everywhere—processed snacks, nut milks, seed flours, even some “natural” baby snacks.
To avoid daily overload:
Minimize processed food intake
Cook from scratch when possible
Use nutrient-dense, traditional fats
Use antioxidant-rich foods to support detoxification
Sourcing Quality Fats: Best to Worst
Dairy
Raw, organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed & finished
Organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed & finished, no additives
Organic, grass-fed, no additives
Organic, additives (synthetic vitamins, flavors, etc.)
Conventional, additives
Conventional
Dairy Processing
Raw
Low-temp pasteurization
High-temp pasteurization
Ultra pasteurization
Eggs
Organic pasture-raised
Organic (ideally soy-free)
Free range
Cage free
Hormone-free or Natural
Conventional
Animal Products
Organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed and finished
Organic, grass-fed, soy/corn-free
Organic, grass-fed
Organic
Conventional
Grocery Store Brands to Look For
Dairy (Raw / Grass-Fed / Low-Temp Pasteurized)
🐄 Raw Farm (formerly Organic Pastures)
✅ Raw, unpasteurized, pasture-raised milk from California cows.
📌 Contains live enzymes and beneficial bacteria, mimicking the profile of breast milk more closely than conventional milk.
🐄 Alexandre Family Farm
✅ A2/A2 genetics, 100% grass-fed, regenerative, and organic.
📌 A2 casein is easier to digest than A1, and their practices focus on soil health, which translates into more nutrient-dense milk.
🐄 Kalona SuperNatural
✅ Low-temp pasteurized, non-homogenized, grass-fed milk.
📌 Gentle pasteurization helps preserve enzymes and makes it ideal for culturing (yogurt/kefir making). Minimal processing.
🐄 Maple Hill Creamery
✅ 100% grass-fed organic dairy.
📌 Higher in omega-3s and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which reduce inflammation and support the brain and skin.
🐄 Seven Stars Farm
✅ Biodynamic, low-temp cultured yogurt.
📌 Thick, tangy, and rich in natural probiotics, without additives or stabilizers.
Meat (Grass-Fed / Regenerative / Organic)
🐄 Grass Roots Co-op
✅ Pasture-raised, transparent sourcing, soy-free feed.
📌 Amazing for nutrient-dense fats and organs. Excellent GAPS & WAPF choice.
💬 Click here to use my code for a discount!
🐄 Force of Nature
✅ Regeneratively raised, 100% grass-fed meats including bison and elk.
📌 Great source of CLA, vitamin E, and nutrient-dense fat from wild animals.
🐄 White Oak Pastures
✅ Regenerative farm raising soy- and corn-free poultry and grass-fed ruminants.
📌 Excellent option for moms avoiding allergens and looking for traditional, nose-to-tail meats.
🐄 US Wellness Meats
✅ Online marketplace for pasture-raised cuts including tallow, marrow bones, and organ meats.
📌 Perfect for making bone broth, liver pâté, or rendering your own cooking fats.
🐄 Thousand Hills
✅ 100% grass-fed and finished, no grains ever.
📌 Simple sourcing, clean protein and fat for baby meals and toddler lunches.
🐄 ButcherBox
✅ Subscription-based meats, curated and convenient.
📌 If local farms are hard to access, this is a reliable upgrade from grocery store meat.
🥚 Eggs (Truly Pasture-Raised / Organic / Soy-Free)
🥚 Handsome Brook Farm
✅ Certified humane, organic pasture-raised.
📌 Better yolk color = more carotenoids. Higher omega-3s and lower omega-6s.
🥚 Mary’s Organic Eggs
✅ Soy-free, pasture-raised.
📌 Ideal for kids with soy allergies or eczema. Sourcing transparency is excellent.
🥚 Local farms or farmers’ markets
✅ Best for seasonal, nutrient-rich eggs.
📌 Look for deep orange yolks and access to bugs, grass, and sunshine.
🥚 Azure Standard or CSA boxes
✅ Offer soy-free and pasture-raised egg options.
📌 Excellent choice if you want to support small family farms.
💡 Use the Cornucopia Egg Scorecard to verify which grocery store brands are truly pasture-raised—not just marketing fluff.
Bonus Resources for Finding Local, High-Quality Animal Foods
🔎 Local Food Directories:
RealMilk.com – Raw milk producers by state
EatWild.com – Find grass-fed meat, eggs & dairy
LocalHarvest.org – Connect with CSA boxes and nearby farms
FarmMatch.com – Buy direct from regenerative farms
📦 Online Delivery / CSA:
Grass Roots Co-op – Ships nationwide Click here to use my code for a discount!
Seven Sons Farms – Rotational grazing and transparency
Azure Standard – A great option for bulk, pantry, and seasonal animal fats
Balance, Quality, and Simplicity
The best fats for babies and toddlers are those:
✅ Rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats
✅ Low in PUFAs (especially industrial seed oils)
✅ Sourced from pasture-raised, grass-fed, or wild animals
✅ Free from additives, antibiotics, and synthetic vitamins
🥄 Cook their veggies in tallow.
🥑 Serve avocado daily.
🥥 Use coconut oil for immune support.
🧈 Stir grass-fed ghee into porridge or squash.
🥚 Add yolks to soups or purées.
💛 You’re not just feeding them—you’re building their brain, immunity, and foundation for life.
Want to Go Deeper? Grab My Healthy Fats Guide!
🎁 The Essential Healthy Fats Guide for Moms, Babies, and Dogs is on SALE for $5.99!
Inside, you'll find:
✔ Safe serving sizes for each age
✔ Easy recipes & ways to use fats in meals
✔ The science behind ancestral fat wisdom
✔ GAPS & Weston A. Price–inspired insights
✔ Fats for toddlers, AND dogs!
Click here to grab the guide now!
You're not just cooking a meal—you’re building your child’s body, brain, and immune system for life. Let’s nourish our little ones the way nature intended: with real, nutrient-rich fats they were born to thrive on.