Nutrition: how to include healthy foods in children’s diets

Check out five tips to help with baby feeding

Food issues can be a challenge, even more so when it comes to offering a variety of foods to children. Therefore, the infant nutrition It is a process that requires patience and some techniques can be useful for introducing healthy eating into the lives of little ones.

Start early with good habits

According to studies published in the American journal Pediatrics, eating habits they consolidate in the first years of life. Therefore, the earlier healthy foods are introduced, the greater acceptance will be and the easier it will be to maintain this trend in the long term.

Furthermore, infant nutrition is essential for growth, development and health. Therefore, investing in different fruits and vegetables is an essential strategy expand the palate of children. Vary the mode preparation and the presentation It also tends to have benefits, as little ones experience different visual stimuli, textures and aromas.

A valuable tip for parents is to use the Brazilian Population Food Guide when preparing meals. The material is produced by the Ministry of Health which provides guidelines to promote a balanced diet, becoming a support tool nutrition education actions and nutrition in the country.

In this way you can access a series of useful recommendations for your health, from ideal choice of foodalso the correct way to combine them in meals.

Therefore, it is through simple strategies that abuse the creativityfrom the persistence and the example that a balanced routine becomes a possibility. Check out tips from Abbott, a global health company, for teaching kids to eat healthily:

Creativity

Dietary variety is very important for healthy growth. Normally the little ones initially tend to reject new foods. It is therefore necessary to propose it other times and, preferably, combine it with another food that the child likes. This is the case of foods that deviate from the child’s habits, causing oddities.

The diversity of ingredients in each meal helps ensure that your baby receives the nutrients needed for optimal development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics nutritional guidelines, it is recommended to include vegetables, fruits, grains, low-fat dairy products (after age 2), and quality protein sources in children’s diets.

Action

Teaching children to make healthy, nutritious decisions increases the likelihood that they will become healthy adults.

One idea is to take your child to the supermarket so they can choose some fruit or vegetables. Making it part of the process is essential to establishing lasting habits. Another tip is to allow them to choose fun plates, glasses and cutlery during meal time, making the moment enjoyable.

Persistence

During the introduction of healthy eating it is important for mothers and fathers to remain calm. A common posture that should be avoided is the act of bargaining, in which meals are paired with a later reward, such as dessert. These approaches harm the development of a new habit and make it difficult to understand that it is important to try foods to find out whether they satisfy the palate or not.

Example

Children’s behavior is a mirror of their parents’ example. Therefore, habits such as eating at the table, paying attention to the meal, eating healthily and regularly, are behaviors expected mainly from adults. This way, the repetition of customs will be more natural and flow pleasantly.

Routine

Planning a structured routine of three meals and two snacks a day is ideal to ensure complete nutrition. To this end, keeping children well fed and teaching them that if they don’t eat at that time to wait until the next snack is essential to establishing consistency and strengthening their understanding of the importance of mealtimes.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.