1. Start off healthy. From the time a child begins consuming solid foods, be sure you’re making the best choices for them. I, admittedly, gave my children the jarred baby foods, but I also bought the fresh fruits and vegetables and cooked and pureed them. Be sure that you give your child an assortment of food colors from day 1. I would feed my child each “color” each day, i.e. GREEN beans, ORANGE sweet potatoes, YELLOW squash, etc. When your child can eat more solid/finger type foods, introduce as many vegetables and fruits as possible. Also, give them whole wheat cereals, and things like all-natural yogurt (avoid low-calorie yogurts with aspartame!), and various real cheeses that are in a brick, i.e. cheddar, Swiss, Monterey…NOT American or any type of fake cheese. Do not, I repeat DO NOT feed your child things like McD’s French fries, chocolate chip cookies, chips, ice cream or any other type of junk food. I have seen, with my own two eyes, the effects of this; feeding your child junk at a young age will lead to obesity, it will ruin your child’s metabolism and pack fat on them that they will battle their entire life. I have seen children with cellulite at the tender age of 6 or 7, and it absolutely breaks my heart. Love your baby/child enough to say no to junk food.
2. What your baby/child drinks is important, too. As far as liquids go, feed your child water when they’re thirsty from playing and cow’s milk a few times a day, if they tolerate it. If not, try non-soy alternatives such as almond milk, rice milk, etc. I say no to soy because of the high estrogen levels, research has shown that soy has an incredibly high amount of estrogen, consuming it can lead to early puberty and certain types of cancer. Also, avoid fruit juice, except as a treat, maybe a few times a month. Fruit juice really isn’t good for your child’s teeth and it adds extra sugar to their diet, which can lead to obesity. Again, it’s best to stick to water or milk products. Do NOT allow your child to have soda pop, not the regular stuff, especially not the diet stuff. Soda is the leading cause of obesity in the U.S. The diet stuff is more dangerous than the regular because it actually makes your body crave sweets. I am against artificial sweeteners, if that crap gives rats cancer, it WILL give humans cancer, as well. Also, research has shown that many artificial sweeteners, mainly the variety in diet sodas, will cause loss of bone density leading to bones that break easily and possibly bone disease. Trust me, if your child isn’t around soda, they will care less about having it, and that will be a habit that sticks with them their entire life.
3. Choose your pantry contents wisely. As your child grows, and their diet expands, be sure you have healthy options around the house. I do not keep things like soda, chips, cookies, candy or any other type of junk food in my home. If it’s here, even for your spouse’s late night snack, you and/or your child will eat it. Keep snack foods around such as granola bars, mini carrots, whole grain cereals, apples, you get the idea. Eating healthy starts at home, your child will base his or her diet off of what they consume throughout their childhood and what they see their parents consume. Be your child’s food mentor. Also, get your child use to the idea of drinking water; drink it throughout the day and with meals WITH THEM. If you crave a candy bar or something sweet, wait until your child is with another adult, then drive yourself to the local market, buy yourself that candy bar or Twinkie, and eat it. Do not keep things like this in your home, not for yourself or your child, because it will get eaten, you'll buy more and it will start bad eating habits.
4. Home-made food is the way to go. I admit it, I have had hamburger helper nights, we all have, but it should be your daily goal to cook your family a healthy no or low-processed meal. Again, your child will learn from you, you are their first teacher, so be sure you’re teaching them exactly what a healthy meal consists of. What should your child’s dinner plate look like? First off, adults should have a plate which is 9 inches wide, or less. And a child should have a plate that is equally proportionate to them. We tend to fill our plate, so with a smaller plate, your portions will be less. Each night, I try to feed my family a small amount of animal protein, 4-5 ounces for an adult, less for a child. A small portion of a starchy food such as whole grain noodles, a whole grain roll, something along those lines. And, I work in no less than two to three different colors of vegetables and fruits with each dinner. Try to buy only fresh. Frozen is alright, avoid canned. Fresh fruits and vegetables have the highest amount of necessary vitamins, minerals and fibers, so fresh is best! Use your imagination and don’t be afraid to try new things, tickle your child’s taste buds, and make sure they try at least two bites of everything you put in front of them. Your child may have to try something 30-40 times before they like it. Be patient.
5. Teach your child what to eat. While you’re eating, talk to your child about what their meal, I love to boast about food, “These carrots have beta carotene, which will help you see well!” I can also be heard saying things like, “ooohh….that is really high in fiber, it’ll help ya poop!” Educate your child, as soon as they begin eating that mushy baby food, talking to them throughout their meal, about what they’re eating and why they need to eat it. Surprisingly, there is very little talk about nutrition at school. It should be a subject, in itself, but it isn’t. And don’t rely on doctors, as they are only required to take a semester, or less, on the subject of nutrition. Pick up a few books about health and nutrition, my favorite ones are “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan and “The End of Illness” by David B. Agus, educate yourself on the subject of nutrition so that you can be your child’s instructor.
6. Get a food-allergy test. I believe that every person should have a food allergy test. It’s important to know what your body likes and doesn’t like. For me, dairy and certain tree nuts are not simpatico. I had been consuming those things for over 30 years, causing inflammation. Inflammation can lead to development of auto-immune disorders, cancer, etc., and it flared up my acne. Who knew?? It’s a good idea to take your child in to their doctor for a food-allergy test when they begin elementary school. It can be a blood or skin test. If your child has eczema, bumps on their skin, acne, oily skin or hair, or any other issues with their skin, then they are probably reacting to food. Read more about it if needed, but I feel that this will be more and more prevalent in the coming years. You are what you eat.
Good luck, I hope you’ve learned something new about health and nutrition. Spread the word!
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