Remember first of all this isn’t a rule book it is just a guide. I hope they will help you to help your child establish healthy eating habits and good nutrition. It is really a framework, but try to keep the following article in mind as you feed your child.
Babies cease to be babies, become toddlers, and then become children and at that point you hope and expect they will try different foods. They will hopefully be eating three nutritious meals a day and a couple of healthy snacks. If you manage this, and you should, then that is a good habit which will remain for the rest of their lives.
What you should be giving your child is the obvious, fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats, low fat dairy products, and making sure that the salt, fat, and sugar content is low. You also need to be making sure where you can that the food is fresh and non processed to reduce additives. Another important factor is calcium uptake so they need three servings of milk or another type of dairy product if they are not keen on milk. This will build their bones and keep their weight at a healthy level.
Don’t worry if your child’s appetite varies from day to day. As long as you are providing nutritious food, and the same time every day so there is a routine. Your child somehow or other will only eat what they need no matter how we try to coax them.
Children eat different amounts every day, so don’t worry if they eat next to nothing one day, and masses the next, that is quite normal. After all we aren’t always hungry at mealtimes, as long as you have a firm control over snacking.
As parents we must realise that our children will follow what we do, more than what we say. Children imitate us in every way, and their behaviour models ours. This is equally true with food, what we eat, how we eat. If we eat unhealthy food so will our children. If we skip meals or refuse things, then they will never try them. Put another way, when it comes to teaching children healthy eating we as parents must practice what we preach.
Working as a health professional Lucy Tucker spends much of her time on baby health and is a firm believer in fresh fruit and vegetables, not processedespecially for babies. If you are looking for a baby food processor then she suggests you check out the Beaba Babycook as a great food processor for the quantities that baby needs
