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It’s amazing how easy it is to get lost in such a seemingly simple matter – to feed a child.
Nutritionist, lifestyle coach
“The child’s digestive system does not form immediately. For example, the pancreas fully matures only by the age of five. Unfortunately, by this time some mothers manage to ruin the entire gastrointestinal tract of their child. “
Mistake 1: the wrong complementary food
The body of a newborn child is a clean slate, so you need to start introducing new products gradually and with great care, so as not to spoil the general background. If the child is breastfed, then complementary foods should be introduced no earlier than six months. For starters, do not dye vegetables, such as zucchini, one spoonful a day, gradually increasing the portion, if there are no problems with the tummy.
The next new product is best offered a month later, such as porridge. So by ten months, the baby’s stomach will be prepared for yolk, rabbit or poultry meat. All potentially allergenic foods – citrus fruits, strawberries, egg white, fish – are best introduced after a year and a half.
Mistake 2: insufficient cleanliness
All foods you present to your child should be well rinsed and cleaned. The intestinal mucosa in children is thinner than in adults, so all toxins are absorbed instantly.
Mistake 3: Introducing sweets
Until the age of three, try to eliminate sweets completely. The children’s nervous system is very sensitive. The body can perceive sweets as an easy way to suppress stress at the slightest problem. Thus, addiction is formed, and the child becomes irritable, aggressive, does not sleep well, he has a lot of fears.
Mistake 4: condiments and spices
Many people try to “make it tastier”: add salt, add sauce or butter. But it tastes better only for parents: the receptors of an adult are less sensitive than those of a child. A child with “clean” taste buds can eat zucchini, broccoli, steamed and without spices with equal pleasure. Do not lay the parents’ own taste preferences for children, always give them the right to choose. No need to add sugar and salt, especially spices. For an immature organism, this is stress.
Mistake 5: the wrong way of cooking
The enzymatic activity of the child’s gastrointestinal tract is lower than that of an adult. Therefore, fried and fatty foods are even more harmful to the child’s body than yours. Try to still offer healthy food. In a family, it is generally worth organizing traditions of joint healthy eating, because the most effective way to teach a child to healthy food is by example.
Mistake 6: prepare your child separately
As long as it is very tiny, it is normal to cook separately. But when he grows up, the baby should eat the same as the parents. If you start cooking for him separately, he may begin to consider himself flawed, not like everyone else. It is also tempting to try something harmful outside the home.
Mistake 7: feeding your little one with something
A very widespread opinion is that everything is better than hungry. Most often, pies, buns, cookies and other fast carbohydrates are used here. All this disrupts the intestinal flora, circadian rhythms go astray from malnutrition. In addition, bad eating habits are formed – here it is worth recalling the story of a boy who refused to eat everything except fast food, and because of this, by the age of 18, he became blind and practically deaf. If the child does not want to eat, do not force it. When he gets really hungry, he will ask – do not hesitate.
Mistake 8: rewarding treats
It even sounds bad: usually such methods are used in animal training. Encouraging a child with sweets is not worth it – it also forms a habit that the child will struggle with throughout his life. And maybe even blame mom for it.
Important!
Try to ignore unprofessional advice from grandmothers and girlfriends who unanimously repeat: “I ate – and grew up normally.” The consequences of poor nutrition cannot be immediately appreciated. The increase in the number of allergy sufferers and people with food intolerances is just one of them.