Parents have never been more aware of the importance of ensuring a healthy and balanced diet for their children. Kids who are able to get the essential nutrients while maintaining a healthy weight are more likely to perform better in school and other activities and exhibit better physical, mental and emotional health throughout their lifetimes.
Today, childhood obesity is in decline throughout most of the United States, and this is in large part due to the mindful efforts of parents, teachers and health professionals to educate children on the importance of good nutrition and help them make the right choices for their health.
More and more, experts are beginning to understand that establishing healthy dietary habits early is vital for the lifelong follow-through of these practices. Believe it or not, the process of ensuring good nutrition in your child can begin as early as birth. There are a number of steps you can take in your child’s first year to start them off healthy and set their tiny feet on the path of lifelong health.
Breastfeeding and healthy development
All new mothers have to make the call on whether to breastfeed their baby. While this is and should be a highly personal decision, there are certain benefits that breastfeeding can offer. In addition to helping you bond on a physical level with your new baby, breastfeeding can actually provide more nutrients that help foster proper baby development. Additionally, the World Health Organization reported that a number of studies indicate that children who were breastfed for at least six months tend to weigh less and be more physically fit than those who were not.
A crying baby doesn’t always indicate hunger
Babies cry for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, one of the first things a new parent will often reach for is the bottle. While this is sometimes the right answer, children’s cries may just as often indicate digestion issues, physical discomfort, exhaustion or the desire to be soothed by a parent or other individual. When you feed your baby too often, you’re not only adding extra calories at a time when his or her body is developing and establishing its “normal” state, but you may also be establishing food as a source of comfort at an early age.
Instead, learn when your baby does require food, and form a schedule to meet those needs. Cries of hunger are usually very different than cries of anger or distress. Listen carefully to determine your baby’s different ways of communicating with you. Other signs that indicate hunger may be the smacking of lips, looking alert and the practice of “rooting,” or moving the head from side to side as though looking for the source of food.
Starting on solids? Explore new tastes
Starting your baby on solid foods is an exciting prospect for a new parent, and it’s the perfect time to help your child establish a healthy food palette. Introduce your baby to new textures and flavors to help them develop a well-rounded, less-selective set of tastebuds.
Introducing solid foods can be frustrating at first – according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children may need to be introduced to new foods up to 10-15 times before they’ll actually eat them. Be patient and persistent in helping your child discover and delight in new tastes. Teaching them to love their vegetables at this early stage may sometimes seem like a hassle, but remember, it may save you hundreds of arguments over the dinner table in the near future.
Establishing healthy eating habits early is among the best ways to keep your child healthy, however, that doesn’t mean you’ll never need to deal with childhood illness. Helping your child get the right treatment for his or her ailments will help them heal faster and get back to their normal, happy selves.
FLAVORx makes medicinal flavorings that can help children take their medicine easier. Ask your pharmacist how to get FLAVORx for your child today.
