Foods do's and don'ts for babies and toddlers

Foods do's and don'ts for babies and toddlers

Feeding your baby or toddler totally depends on you. A lot of the rules have changed, and they're more flexible and easier for parents to navigate and feel good about doing the right thing for their child.

Do: Feed Your Baby Real Food

In the not so distant past, parents were fearful about giving children real food. They started with rice cereal and built up to other foods. But, this has been shown not only to be ineffective but even harmful, causing more problems with allergies. Try starting your baby with real food thatís mushy like mashed bananas, baked sweet potato, and avocado.

Do: Keep Nursing If Your Baby Is Thriving

Even when you start your baby on solid food, it's fine to keep nursing as long as your baby still wants to and you still want to. Breast milk is the best for your baby and will keep offering him not only vitamins and minerals but also protection from infection and illness. Tests have shown that a mom's breast milk changes based on the needs of the baby.

Do: Eat Meals Together as a Family

Starting as young as possible, eating meals together as a family will help teach your child many values. One of them is that they are important and that you are willing to stop everything else for just an hour or so to ensure that everyone has the nutrition they need.

As your child gets older, this will be ground zero in terms of conversations and lessons about the day. If you want to know your child, start eating dinner with them while they're young and keep doing it as long and as often as possible.

Do: Offer Variety as They Age

You don't want to force your child to eat anything that they dislike. Instead, always offer them a variety of healthy choices. Then let them lead the way. Even if they dislike something one day, keep offering it because after a few times of it being offered they may decide that they like it.

Do: Be Patient

Some babies are pickier than others. You might feel as if your child is living off nothing more than a grape and a cracker. But, babies will not starve themselves. When food is offered, they will eat until they're satisfied. This is the best way to feed your baby so that they learn to listen to their own bodies. Be patient with your child and let them guide you on how fast they want to try things and eat different foods. If they say no today, they may say yes tomorrow.

Don't: Feed Rice Cereal First

It used to be that doctors recommended feeding rice cereal first to get the baby used to eating solid food. But, there is nothing to prove this to be a good thing. In fact, rice cereal essentially offers nothing in the way of nutrition other than whatís added to the product. Therefore, feeding your baby real food instead is always better.

Don't: Forget about Choking Hazards

While you do want to feed your baby a variety of foods, you want to be careful about things that can choke your child. Hot dogs should be cut up into small square chunks that a baby can pick up with their two fingers. Some foods that are too slippery (like peaches) or too hard (like pretzels) should be held back and given to them when they're more experienced eaters and have teeth.

Don't: Feed Your Baby Risky Adult Food

Things like raw meat and fish should be completely avoided by babies and toddlers. Babies are more susceptible to getting ill from these types of foods. If it's risky for you to eat, it's extra risky for them. So, don't feed them undercooked meat, raw fish, tartar, or raw or undercooked eggs.

Don't: Stuff Their Face

Some parents think that they need to stick the food in the babyís mouth, but you don't need to do it that way. If you do need to feed them to avoid a mess for some reason, only stick the food in your babyís mouth when they are ready for it and really wanting it. If you stuff their face and make them eat more than they really should due to their hunger level, you may train your baby to ignore their natural hunger cues.

Don't: Give Up

Babies and toddlers are developing independent personalities. Due to this they are often very persistent and vocal about what they do and don't want. Therefore, when you offer your child a food that they don't like, don't get frustrated. Don't give up. Offer it to them again another time and never force them to eat something they do not like. There are always other food sources available that will provide whatever nutrient they need.

These do's and don'ts of feeding babies and toddlers are essential, because nothing is more important than your baby getting enough nutrients. They need a diet high in vitamins and minerals which require a variety of food choices.

Next time, we'll focus on the food do's and don'ts for school-aged kids. Don't miss it.