1. Mother's diet is very important during pregnancy and breastfeeding
The fetus begins to swallow amniotic fluid at 10-14 weeks, and his taste buds also begin to develop at this time. The taste of amniotic fluid is closely related to the mother's diet. If the mother eats a diverse diet during pregnancy without heavy salt or sweetness, the baby will be more likely to accept and like the food that the mother eats during pregnancy.
Similarly, the taste of breast milk is also related to the mother's diet. Breast milk also contains small molecules such as the food that the mother eats. Babies eat breast milk with this taste to establish good conditions for subsequent addition of complementary foods, and babies are often willing to accept them. Therefore, mothers should eat a healthy diet and eat a variety of foods from the beginning of pregnancy.
2. Parents set a good example
We can't ask children to eat bland food while parents eat fried chicken, braised pork feet, and spicy hot pot.All family members can be role models for children on a healthy and balanced diet, such as grandparents, parents, or siblings.
Role models can also take the lead when adding new foods to children
3. Parents make decisions and give their children some choices
Parents decide when, where and what food to serve.
1. Reasonable arrangements for meals and snacks, and require children to eat at normal times, not to eat snacks at mealtimes instead;
2. There must be a fixed place for eating or snacking. The ideal is to finish the food in the restaurant, not in the room or in front of the TV;
3. Parents decide what food to offer their children, making sure the food is fresh, healthy and varied.
After doing these three points, let your child decide which foods to eat and how much to eat.
The child has a certain right to choose, which not only makes him more willing to participate in the meal, but also cultivates the child's self-awareness.
4. Even just one bite is important
Even with just one bite, your child is already taking the first step toward trying a new food.We should pay attention to every attempt of the child. The focus of this process is to let the child taste the taste, and the taste buds are on the tongue, so we do not need to ask the baby to swallow the food.
Babies may just take a small bite at first, or just hold the food in their mouth, or just lick it repeatedly. Don't conclude too early that they don't like the food just because they don't eat it, they're just still exploring. The most important thing is that parents do not worry.
It may take 15-20 repeated exposures to new foods for your baby to start liking them.
Interesting colors and interesting tableware will make children more willing to try and accept. For babies who have difficulty adding new foods, parents can spend more time and patience to improve the appearance of the food and make it fun to try food.
5. No compulsory "Eat up" for the baby
"Who knows, every meal in a plate is hard work." We were often taught to cherish food when we were young. Parents and the president urged us to finish eating what was in our rice bowl, but the elders used their own food to assess whether their children were eating enough or not. We are often forced to eat too much, and the process of eating is unpleasant. As a result, some parents use watching animations and playing with mobile phones as extra rewards, forcing their children to eat extra food that they don’t need at all, which will undoubtedly make the children do not like to eat. further and further down the road.
6. Elders do not use food as a reward
"Reward you with a small cookie after eating vegetables", "Reward you with ice cream after eating", "Be obedient and don't trick or treat, I will give you a lollipop later"... This is the practice of many parents, especially grandparents. .
This may have a good effect in the short term, the child is obedient, ate the food obediently, and did what you asked to do, but in the long run, the child will form a conditioned reflex, and only the reward will be willing to eat well, not according to their own. Hunger to eat, and ignore the deliciousness of the meal itself.
They are more inclined to think: "Normal healthy food is a terrible thing, otherwise my parents won't reward me with candy and snacks to let me eat it", and increasingly feel that healthy food is disgusting food.
7. Meal Time = Family Time
Even if you are very busy, try to ensure that you can have meals with your children 3 days a week. This is not only the need for the role model we mentioned in point 2 above, but also because families who often eat together have closer family members. Children have fewer problems in adolescence and in adulthood.
During the meal time, everyone sits down and eats well together, and do not show up on TV, mobile phones, or iPads.
Another little tip, the secret to keeping parents healthy and enjoyable is the "5-2-1-0" rule, that is, try to eat "5" servings of fruits and vegetables a day, spend no more than "2" hours of screen time, Physical activity for at least "1" hour and no sugary drinks to children.
8. The same family, dining together
After the baby is one year old, the chewing function and gastrointestinal tract function basically reach the conditions for digesting and absorbing adult food. At this time, they can eat adult meals and eat the same food as their parents, but ensure that the food they eat is also less salty, light and healthy. It is enough to take care of the baby with a wide variety and softness. Children do not like to be treated differently. For those children who already have the habit of picky eaters and partial eclipses, we can use the food he likes as a bridge to guide him to like another kind of food.For example, if the child likes french fries, try giving the child fried potato chips. If the child accepts it, then try the fried pumpkin. Other family members should set an example in this process and try it together with the child.
9. Learn about plant growth with children
In your spare time, you can take your children to a farmhouse and learn how to grow, cultivate, pick, harvest and process crops together.Usually you can let the children participate in the washing and cooking, or let the children grow some simple vegetables and fruits such as onion, garlic and strawberries on the balcony, let the children know where the food comes from and the process, they find it interesting throughout the process , will start to like them.
10. Get enough sleep
Sleep deprivation is prone to cognitive and behavioral problems, such as impaired concentration, memory, daytime sleepiness, hyperactivity, and metabolic and immune system problems.We can't get a sleepy, irritable child to eat well; nor can we get a hyperactive child to sit well at the dining table;
When there is insufficient sleep, the immune system is damaged, the child is more likely to get sick, and when he is sick, the child cannot eat well... Therefore, in order for the child to eat well, the child must first sleep well.
