Nutrition is a basic need for any person, including a child.
And from the moment the baby is born, any mother thinks about how to feed him.
And if everything is clear in infancy, then what to do later, when the child actively begins to show food interest in products, but not always in the right way, says nutritionist Alena Chernova.
The most important thing is to start with yourself. You are the main example for your child. If you eat sausage, tons of chocolate and chips, then your child will decide for himself that this is normal.
Here are some basic rules
1. From the moment of the first complementary feeding, try to expand the child's diet. Carrots can be not only boiled, but also raw, stewed, fried. Offer not only new products, but also new cooking methods. This will help you avoid neophobia (unexplained fear of change) in the future.
2. Establish a meal schedule. Clear time frames will help you avoid snacking and, consequently, overeating.
3. Do not skip breakfast, because in the morning children are usually busy with mental activity or physical activity. A balanced breakfast will allow the child to feel energetic for a long time.
4. Involve your child in preparing the dish. Starting from a young age, you can trust him to wash some products, a little older you can trust him to set the table, and then the cooking process itself can be entrusted to the child.
It's interesting, and you won't raise a picky eater. Plus, it's a great chance to introduce a new product into the diet.
5. Take your child shopping, playfully, you can teach them to choose healthy products, and if there are several children, you can even arrange a competition to see who can find the right products on the shelves faster.
6. Vegetables and fruits should be available. Put vegetable and fruit plates on the table, offer different sauces and cuts.
7. Do not prohibit or criticize your child’s eating in a categorical manner, otherwise you may provoke unhealthy eating behavior in the future.
8. Explain in understandable language, in accordance with age, the pros and cons of each product, thereby forming the child’s responsibility for what he eats.
Previously, we talked about whether probiotics from yogurt really help improve digestion and strengthen the immune system.
