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NutritionThe obesity crisis is forcing parents to think hard about what they feed their children. When it comes to our kids’ nutrition, the information available can be pretty confusing. Even the most savvy consumer can be overwhelmed while navigating their way through the maze of information about what’s good, bad and down-right dangerous for our kids.
It’s no wonder most of us give up trying to understand.
I am not a nutritionist. I am not a paediatric dietician. I’m a mum with a background in catering, who cares about what we put into our children’s tummies. And I’ve also done my research. I’ve read and listened to a myriad of media debates concerning childhood nutrition and found some really useful information that I’d like to share.
So each month, I’ll be presenting a newsletter full of nutritional information and news so you can understand more about your baby or toddler’s dietary needs. Click on the great childhood nutrition links on the Toddler Tucker Links page.
But in the meantime, here are some basics for you to consider:
1. Humans have five nutritional needs – protein, fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, good fats and water. If your kids’ diet includes a good range of all of the above, you are doing pretty well.
2. Remember that parents may decide what to feed their children, but it’s the child who decides whether to eat it.
3. Food neophobia is something many toddlers suffer from – it is the fear of new foods which means that you may have to introduce a new food or taste up to 10 times before a child will adopt it.
4. Children’s appetites vary from day to day, and if a child is offered a range of healthy alternatives, they will eventually eat from what is being presented.
5. Bribing children with lollies or dessert in order to eat their dinner is just creating bad habits and unrealistic expectations that every meal will end with sweets.
6. Most conveniently packaged baby and toddler food items are canned or in jars, and must undergo a process called pasteurisation, whereby the food is treated with ultra high heat to destroy bacteria so it can last on the shelf for a long time. Unfortunately, during this process many nutrients are destroyed along with the bacteria. Freezing food retains the nutrients while safely preserving it for future use. |
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