| Eating healthy should be seen as a lifelong habit rather | | | | the added bonus of allowing your child to feed herself. |
| than a short-term fix to weight problems. The best | | | | It's fun for her and less work for the parent. In fact, |
| way to teach your kids to eat healthy is to model | | | | you can pull her high chair up to the table and let her |
| healthy eating yourself, right from birth. Here are some | | | | eat alongside you, sharing in the family meal. Having |
| tips to get them to eat healthy as soon as you begin | | | | sit-down family meals is a good habit in itself, since it |
| introducing solid foods into their diet. | | | | encourages good family relationships as well as |
| Try mashing up homemade foods rather than buying | | | | healthy eating choices. |
| jars of "baby food". We are very hung up on the idea | | | | When your baby grows into a young toddler, he can |
| of purees in our culture. Magazines encouraging | | | | be given small portions of the same foods you are |
| alternatives to the ready-made jars advocate pureeing | | | | eating. Cook a variety of healthy meals. At this stage, |
| your own food, but this can be very time-consuming, | | | | variety is important, because many older toddlers |
| and when your baby eats only a tablespoon full, | | | | become picky and refuse to eat new foods. But if |
| disheartening. An easier alternative is to try foods that | | | | they've already had a variety of veggies, meats, |
| can be easily mashed with a fork and given in small | | | | grains, fruit and legumes, they will continue to accept |
| amounts. Avocados, bananas and sweet potatoes are | | | | them. Remember that for children under three some |
| great examples. | | | | foods can be choking hazards unless cut thinly. These |
| The guidelines for introducing solids such as these are | | | | include hard, solid foods like carrot chunks and some |
| that your baby should be able to sit up unassisted, can | | | | nuts, and also grapes. |
| show he or she is full by turning his head away, and | | | | If you take your toddler to the grocery store, allow her |
| has lost his tongue-thrust reflex. If you don't know | | | | to pick out a fruit or veggie for the week. You can |
| what the tongue-thrust reflex is, try giving your baby a | | | | also minimize requests for candy and other unhealthy |
| spoonful of food. If he pushes it right back out of his | | | | items by avoiding those aisles, or offering your child a |
| mouth instantly, he still has a tongue-thrust reflex and | | | | healthy snack to eat from the store. This might include |
| you'll need to wait a week or so before trying again. | | | | some raisins or a banana. Some children might like to |
| Once baby is old enough to grasp things with her | | | | pick out a bagel or bun from the bakery counter. |
| thumb and forefinger (called the pincer grasp), you can | | | | The bonus of using these guidelines to help your child |
| give her small, soft items. Examples include cooked | | | | develop healthy eating habits is that you will begin to |
| lentils and chickpeas (many babies this age love | | | | develop them for yourself, as you strive to serve |
| legumes), green peas, or small noodles. Babies can | | | | wholesome meals and snacks to your whole family. |
| also eat flakes of chicken meat. Giving tiny pieces has | | | | |