It's exciting when your toddler starts eating solid foods. You get to introduce her to lots of new things. There will be foods she likes and ones that she doesn't. But many toddlers develop an aversion to new foods or only want to eat one certain food at every meal. This often happens around the infamous "terrible twos." Some parents fear that their child will not get proper nutrition if they are picky eaters.
Many parents see organic baby food in health food stores or regular grocery aisles and simply pass it by. You probably think “I grew up on regular baby food and I’m fine”. Think about it this way, do you baby proof your gardening chemicals, or is your baby allowed to eat and drink pesticides? Okay perhaps it’s not an equal comparison, after all there are only small amounts of toxic chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers in traditional baby food but do you really want to take the risk?
Meals together create memories. Those are bound to be happy memories because it is family quality time. However, by making meal time fun, those memories will be even happier.
A varied diet offers a better chance to get all the nutrients children need to grow and stay healthy. Introducing new foods will offer your child a wider choice and also help them develop their personal taste.
Picky eaters always create problems. Not only they are difficult to please and create extra work, but picky eaters often turn meal times into an unpleasant experience. Parents worry when they think their kids are not getting enough food.
Children today are less active than when we were their age. Food is plentiful and sometimes there is nothing better to do then eat. The result is that, as a group, children are becoming heavier and at risk of turn into obese adults.
The ingredients that make up a dish are very important and as we are getting pre-prepared food all too often, reading and understanding the labels to see what in inside is a must teach to your kids.
Kids are different. they are growing and need more calories and nutrients, in proportion to their weight, than adults do. This is the first fact to take into account in healthy eating for kids.
Remember that an adult portion, a teenager portion, a kids portion and a toddler portion are all very different things, this is often overlooked. Whe we should eat differs with age, sex, and activity level.
Eating disorders are on the rise. Many have the opinion this kind of disorder often is an expression of self esteem issues and these have to be addressed. However, creating a healthy attitude to food in your kids will help to prevent this type of disorder.
