| How to teach babies to eat healthy | | | | green leafy vegetables. It will be difficult to coax |
| Obesity is the number one problem in the United | | | | children into eating green and leafy vegetables |
| States today. Blame it on hectic schedules and the | | | | especially if they grew up without tasting such food. |
| propensity for eating junk foods and fast food fares. | | | | To get your child interested in vegetables of any |
| The problem with obesity is not just the psycho- | | | | kind, they have to experience the food while they |
| socio effects but it is also the leading cause of | | | | are growing up and still developing their taste buds. |
| diabetes all over the world today. | | | | Every parent should be guided by the pyramid food |
| There is a growing concern for obese children who | | | | classification when feeding their children. Parents |
| are in danger of getting diabetes and other | | | | should start feeding their babies the right food even |
| weight-related diseases. A child can already start | | | | before they can demand what they want to eat. |
| having weight problems even before he is born. Have | | | | The pyramid food guide shows that food that has |
| you not figured out yet why obstetricians advice | | | | plenty of fats, oil and sweets should be eaten |
| moms-to-be to eat healthy food and to keep within | | | | sparingly. |
| their ideal weight? | | | | Thus, parents can feed their babies chocolates and |
| Majority of pregnant women still believe that the | | | | ice creams but only sparingly. On the other hand, |
| more weight they gain during pregnancy, the better | | | | babies should be fed two to three servings of milk |
| for the baby. This is a misconception because studies | | | | and cheese as well as food with protein content like |
| show that the mother eat from the wrong foods | | | | fish and poultry. |
| groups and who do not observe proper diet when | | | | Vegetables and fruits should be the main fare of |
| pregnant tend to gain more weight during pregnancy | | | | babies who should eat food from this group in three |
| and in turn they give birth to overweight children. | | | | to five servings. Babies do not really have a choice |
| Old fashioned folks still believe that fat babies are | | | | what you feed them so it is easy to just mash some |
| cute and healthy. Cute they maybe, but definitely not | | | | potatoes or squash or carrots and feed your baby. |
| healthy! | | | | He will be able to develop a taste for these |
| An overweight kid is more prove to weight-related | | | | vegetables and will find them normal fare when they |
| illnesses like diabetes. I am not saying that you should | | | | grow up. |
| put your kids on a diet as early as one year old but | | | | The most important food group which babies should |
| come to think of it; putting kids on a healthy diet | | | | be given more of are breads, cereals, and other |
| may just he the best solution to keeping them within | | | | carbohydrate-containing food. |
| their ideal weights. | | | | Another past time for the new generation is junk |
| Keeping kids on a healthy diet does not mean | | | | food. I always fight this impulse to deliver a sermon |
| depriving them of their childhood. Well if childhood | | | | whenever I see a mom feeding her baby junk food. |
| means ice cream and chocolates then go ahead, let | | | | Oh, I see them everywhere, babies not even a year |
| them get their sweet yearnings. However, kids | | | | old being fed chips just because the mother is so |
| should be trained to identify the good food from the | | | | tired to cook good food for her baby. |
| bad food. | | | | The problem of obesity starts early on in life and if |
| I have noticed how parents allow their kids to drink | | | | babies are not shown the right food to consume |
| sodas even before they turn a year old. The problem | | | | then they will grow up junk food addicts and soda |
| is that soda has become a staple family drink so kids | | | | gurglers like their moms and dads. |
| grow up seeing soda on the table. And since they | | | | It is also unwise to give candies to babies just to |
| see their parents and housemates drink soda then | | | | make them stop crying. Doing such will only make the |
| they think it is good for them too. | | | | candy a comfort zone for your baby who would |
| Did you know that a can of soda contains seven and | | | | develop this habit of eating candy whenever he is |
| a half tablespoon of sugar? Can you imagine your | | | | stressed. Sad to say, your baby will carry this habit |
| child drinking water with this much sugar? Of course | | | | even when he grows older and becomes an adult |
| not! But see the number of parents allowing their kids | | | | himself. |
| to drink soda and you will get a heart attack. | | | | To encourage kids to snack on healthy food, why |
| Soda or carbonated drinks are generally unhealthy | | | | not julienne carrots, cucumber and guava and place |
| and kids have to be taught not to drink them. Of | | | | them on attractive cups and serve them with an |
| course, if you drink soda in the house or in | | | | attractive dip? Why not let babies munch on raw |
| restaurants you can never expect your child to | | | | carrots? It will not only be good for his health but on |
| believe you when you tell him that it is unhealthy. | | | | his teeth as well. |
| Parents should lead by examples so if you want your | | | | Teaching babies to eat right is not expensive but it |
| child off carbonated drinks then you must start | | | | takes a lot of love, patience and creativity. Training |
| staying away from carbonated drinks too. | | | | them to eat right will pay off in the future when you |
| Children are born with a blank slate which means they | | | | see them grow up to become healthy eaters. |
| develop a taste for the kind of food and drinks that | | | | If you want to encourage your kids to eat right then |
| parents give them at home while they were growing | | | | train them to eat right. But first, you also have to |
| up. | | | | train yourself to eat right so you can be a good |
| Some parents find it so hard to let their children eat | | | | example to them. |