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5 signs you’re feeding your baby the wrong way
Adults themselves are able to take care of their health and nutrition. But children in this matter are entirely dependent on their parents.
“Just eat” – this is the principle that many mothers and especially grandmothers are guided by. It doesn’t matter what the child will have for lunch, as long as he doesn’t go hungry, and then even eat pasta with sausages all week if he doesn’t want anything else. Our expert, head of the program “Conversation about proper nutrition” Alexandra Makeeva spoke about the main signals that you are feeding your child so wrongly that it will certainly affect his health. And most importantly, how to fix everything.
Sign 1. I do not want – I will not!
Every time you try to offer your child something healthy to eat – vegetables, fruits, herbs, the child is ready to make a scandal. He knows what cookies, sweets, bread are and at any time of the day or night he is ready to eat only what he loves. Every time you are afraid that the child will remain hungry, let him eat at least something.
What to do?
I must admit that children are great conservatives. Anything new is unusual and undesirable for them. That is why it is very important to gradually develop the habit of eating right and instilling a love for healthy food.
No need to be manipulated. Try to explain that you need to eat right, and you can get sweets for dessert or afternoon tea. Children understand everything perfectly at any age. If you explain everything to them in detail and calmly, they will understand, and most importantly, accept that from now on mom will not give only rolls for lunch and dinner. Vegetables should be eaten calmly, tasted normally, they can be really tasty. A sweet apple, banana, and sometimes ice cream or chocolate candy can be eaten with pleasure with tea for dessert.
Sign 2. Salt me some more
The child asks to add salt to ready-made dishes, and you always add salt. Otherwise, it will be completely tasteless, especially since the salt also contains useful substances. To be honest, we, adults, ourselves often love more salty. It begins to seem to us that without salt, food loses its taste, and, as a result, we begin to oversalt the dishes.
What to do?
Unfortunately, according to recent studies, already at the age of 3–7 years, about 50% of children consume more salt per day than recommended by the World Health Organization for the adult population (5 g). Salt does contain useful substances that regulate the water balance in the body and contribute to the proper functioning of systems. However, oversalting food can have an extremely negative impact on health. Remember, salt is already found in many foods. For example, in bread or sausages.
Try to limit the amount of salt. If you are already accustomed to oversalting everything, you will need some time to fall in love with the new taste. However, very soon both you and your child will be surprised that dishes that previously seemed to you undersalted are very well salted and tasty without additives. Use iodized salt and add it only to ready-made meals.
Sign 3. Snack and snack again
Less than half an hour later, the child left the table, having not really finished eating either the soup or the hot. And now he already asks for something to eat, because he is not full. Parents immediately begin to feel sorry for the poor child and offer cookies, sweets or, again, bread with cheese, sausage, butter. Let him at least eat so much and live until the next meal.
What to do?
Agree with your child about a daily routine where all meals will be clearly spelled out. Explain to your child that at another time you will not eat now, and if suddenly someone is hungry, walked on the street, played enough and ran around – snacks will be in order to replenish strength and energy. And these are fruits, vegetables or dairy products. If the child asks for something to “chew,” offer yogurt, an apple, a banana, a pear, a delicious peeled carrot, cucumber or bell pepper. The choice is huge. The main thing is for the child to understand: such snacks can be, but without sweet cookies, chips and buns. Don’t change the rules of the game or compromise.
Sign 4. “I will not eat what you have prepared”
Every child has a period when he begins to pick and choose: I don’t want this, I want something else. Mom gets nervous, starts to cook another dish. After all, if the child does not have breakfast, lunch and dinner, disaster will happen. Moreover, he wants to eat, he simply does not want to eat what he now has on his plate.
What to do?
The most effective way to teach respect for the work of a culinary specialist is to take his place. Start cooking with your child. Involve him in the preparation of all dishes, while talking about all the ingredients. Cut salad together and share how cucumbers, tomatoes and greens are good; cook fish or meat and talk about how their beneficial elements have a good effect on our brain and memory.
First, the child will become imbued with the importance of what is happening. How can you refuse do-it-yourself meals? You will want to eat them yourself and feed the whole family. Secondly, the child will learn and remember all the useful information that you tell him. After all, next time you ask him to decide what salad we will make today, what soup we will cook and how we will take care of the health of the whole family together.
Sign 5. Milk would
Previously, the child happily ate yogurt for breakfast or drank kefir at night. Now, every time he needs to be persuaded.
What to do?
Research shows that children in Russia do not consume enough dairy products. This leads to calcium deficiency, which is especially necessary for children during the period of active growth. If in the earliest childhood parents monitor the consumption of dairy products, then with age their amount in the diet of children decreases significantly.
Follow the rule: eat 3 servings of foods containing milk per day. A serving is a glass of milk, a slice of cheese, a jar of yogurt, etc. Diversify the diet of fermented milk products: eat cottage cheese, drink fermented baked milk or kefir, cook syrniki and curd casseroles together.
Proper nutrition is not just one breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This is a systematic approach of all family members. Every parent wants their child to grow up happy, successful and healthy. And we can do everything to help him become that way. Only parents can learn on their own and teach their children not to overeat sweets, not eat too much salt, control the fat content of dishes and make sure that children receive the necessary vitamins and minerals every day. Do it with the whole family, study and learn new things, cook together, come up with new dishes – and bon appetit.