Feeding a baby is no mean feat. Only very few lucky parents don’t have to meet resistance, as their child eats everything. Others have to beg, coerce, force, cajole their baby into eating.
The implications
Setting the right precedent is very important. Baby’s relationship with solid food does not only determine their nutrition, but their attitude with food for the rest of their lives as well.
Moreover, if you are able to help your baby develop a taste for everything and anything, it also helps in preventing them from becoming picky eaters as well.
Furthermore, it is easier to coerce toddlers than older kids, who develop a mind of their own. It can then lead to the child becoming so picky, that they develop nutrient deficiency and the resultant problems that has the parents running to the Best Child specialist in Lahore.
How to get your child into liking food?
Now, to the tricky business. How does one train their toddler into being acceptable towards different types of food, and liking the experience? Read on to find out!
Different textures
It is not just the taste that matters, but texture is equally important as well. Therefore, try to vary the textures of what you feed your child as well. However, make sure that their bite size is convenient, and that there is no choking hazard.
For example, you can try the puree to be smooth and somewhat chunky. This way, vary the texture so that your child is more accepting of food items with varying texture.
Extensive menu
One way to encourage the child to be open to different experiences is by offering them. Therefore, try to feed your child different kinds before they hit their picky stage, often around 2 years of age.
Before that, make sure that you have fed them a wide variety of items, that even when they become picky, their set of options is still vast.
Less drama, mama
As a parent, you are right to be concerned about how much food your child is eating. However, if you make the mealtime more about counting bites and thus forcing the food on the child, which makes them stressed, you are actually not helping.
Stress and anxiety can suppress your child’s appetite. So, make the mealtime enjoyable. Let the child eat however they want; you focus on your own food. When you child is enjoying, they will positively connect with food.
No fine dining
Yes, cleaning the food mess is hard, and yes, you want to avoid your child making one to begin with, but you are also hindering the child’s relationship with food.
Children tend to experience things with their hands and mouth, and thus, they are bound to make a mess. But in this journey, they are also getting to know food, its different types, and textures better. Hence, try not to discourage them by trying to feed them yourself, or distracting them with the process of cleaning mid-eating.
Pipe down on sugar and processed food
Sugar and processed food are not good for anyone, and your baby is no exception. Hence, in order to encourage healthy eating habits from the very get-go, you need to pipe down on foods that do not come under the ambit of healthy foods.
Variety is the spice of life
It can be tempting to rely on a trusty menu, brands, presentation, and cooking style, but it does help in opening up your child’s palate. Therefore, add variety.
Vegetables and fruits are important
Fruits and vegetables are packed with goodness, and thus you should try to incorporate them in every meal. It ensures that your child has better nutrition, they develop a fond relationship with them early on in their life, and they have better health, so you have to make less visits to the Best Child specialist in Islamabad then.
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