Angela Campbell’s 17-month-old daughter has expensive taste.
While other tots often go for the fast and cheap, baby Campbell prefers her treats rich, decadent and imported from the Southwest Pacific.
But it’s not haute couture that the little one craves — it’s butter.
“She loves it. She actually asks for it, saying, ‘Butter, butter!’ all the time,” Campbell, 29, from Orlando, Florida, who chose not to provide her daughter’s name for privacy, told The Post. “Her favorite is this $11.99 grass-fed butter from New Zealand.”
“My husband thinks it’s weird and gross, so sometimes I’m like, ‘I’ll give you butter when daddy goes to work,’” the nurse-turned-stay-at-home-mom continued with a laugh. “I don’t care what anyone else has to say about it.”
“Butter is good for babies.”
From whipped to melted, from hunks to whole sticks, parents of the “butter baby boom,” like Campbell, are working globs of the golden goodness into their kiddos’ daily diets as a supposed nutrient-dense snack packed with essential vitamins — such as Vitamins A, E and K — and omega-3 fatty acids that reportedly support itty bitty growing bodies.
Mamas with medical insights, like Kate Pope, better known to her over 178,000 social media followers as the “Wild Nutritionist,” and Cinthia Scott, a pediatric dietitian, have long-touted the alleged boons of butter for babies, claiming the condiment boosts brain, digestive and nervous system development, as well as softens skin and enhances sleep quality.
And when it comes to types of butter, quality is key, per mothers of the movement.
Rather than pumping their pups full of the cheapest spreadable on the market, many butter-happy families are happily spending top dollar on raw, cultured butter sourced from grass-fed and finished cows (cattle that exclusively ate grass and forage for their entire life).
Still, haters who have beef with the buttery parenting style have deemed it “abusive,” “bizarre,” “dangerous,” and “f—ing gross” online.
The hot-button, yet utterly buzzy trend stems from ever-controversial “carnivore baby” craze — a mealtime movement spurred by moms and dads hellbent on feeding their young whole foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products rather than cereals, crackers and processed junk.
Bridget Kiernan, a pediatric gastroenterologist with NYU Langone Health, previously told The Post that animal-based fare — including grass-fed butter— can be “safe for babies, but in moderation.”
“We want to give children a balanced diet with all of the macro- and micro-nutrients,” added Kiernan, noting that introducing high-fat, high-protein fare to infants typically occurs at the six-month mark. She, too, suggested parents prepare evenly divided meals for their babies, consisting of 30% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbohydrates, plus fiber and dairy.
Kiernan’s advice complements that of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which determined that the “acceptable macronutrient distribution range for dietary fat for children aged 1 to 3 years is 30% to 40% of total daily calories from fat,” in a recent report.
“Fat is the major source of energy for exclusively breastfed infants aged 0 to 6 months. The adequate intake (AI) for infants aged 0 to 6 months is 31 grams per day, and approximately 55% of total caloric intake,” continued the insiders, cautioning that “inadequate fat intake can stunt growth and increase the risk of chronic disease.“
Researchers for the American Academy of Pediatrics have also found that fatty foods, like butter, don’t have the same negative health effects on babies as they do on grown-ups.
“Adult goals for cutting back on total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol aren’t meant generally for children younger than 2 years,” the experts wrote in a separate study, insisting that fats “should not be severely restricted.”
Amanda Furr, the Chief Medical Officer of Zarminali Pediatrics, agrees that butter can be beneficial to babies’ brain growth.
But she tells The Post that claims the smooth stuff is some “miracle food” made to improve children’s sleep, skin and stools is complete bunk.
“Butter is really not meant to be a food on its own,” said Furr, warning that even a spoonful of the yellow goop can be considered a choking hazard for rugrats. “Butter by itself is low viscosity, meaning it spreads fairly easily, and it can go into children’s lungs, especially when they’re still developing that feeding and swallowing coordination.”
The pediatrician, and mother of four, urges folks to consider nutritious alternatives before turning their babies into little butter lovers.
“There are a lot of expensive, imported, grass-fed butters [on the market] but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy,” noted Furr. “There are better fats with omega 3s, omega 6s and DHA, and those come from avocados, olive oil and nut butters.”
But Campbell says feeding her daughter avocado was a no-go — her little one doesn’t like the texture — and all other substitutes just wouldn’t fly. Her baby just likes butter.
It’s a preference for which the mom is often reprimanded by internet trolls.
“The social media comments are shocking,” said Campbell, routinely bashed as a bad parent who’s going to give her kid a “heart attack.”
“But those same people are probably giving their kids Goldfish crackers and sugary snacks full of chemicals,” she retorted. “My kid eats chicken, vegetables, fruits and a teaspoon of butter five times a week. She’s good.”
Natalie Evans, a butter baby mama of 11-month-old son, Conrad, echoed similar sentiments to The Post.
“People online have left comments under videos of Conrad eating butter saying, ‘This is literally abuse,’ and ‘a baby doesn’t need all that fat,’” said Natalie, 28, a lifestyle content creator from Charleston, South Carolina.
“He eats a nutrient-dense diet, so no grains, nothing processed. He loves sardines and organic, pasture-raised butter,” continued the married mom of one, noting that her son is primarily breastfed.
Still, she attributes his rapid brain development, high energy, great skin and healthy bowel movements — at least in part — to butter.
“He sleeps through the night, he’s reaching all his major milestones — like sitting up independently, teething, being food to his mouth — early,” she gushed. “He’s never had a trace of eczema or psoriasis. His skin is so soft and beautiful. He’s never been bloated or even constipated.”
“He’s the happiest, chunkiest boy,” raved Natalie, praising the daily delight for its many delicious advantages. “Butter is better.”
