Broadening your child's diet

Subject page : Health

Boadening the diet of babies

Every baby refuses solids at some point in time and some will take to certain types of foods and want them all the time. Some parents mistakenly continue to offer the same food through sheer joy that their child is eating something. This is not an immediate problem for a couple of days but it can turn into a long term one if encouraged.

Although it may take time and effort to give your child a variety of foods to try, it is essential to a healthy appetite. It will also ensure that as they get older they will be willing to attempt new foods and so aid them in receiving the variety of nutrients they need. If getting them to try new foods is difficult, try mixing the foods they do like with new foods. Such as, if they like eggs try mixing in a little tomato or chopped chicken.

Boadening the diet of infants

When my 4 year old daughter started school I was limited to the choice of sandwiches she would eat. Ham, chicken and jam were her only choices. After a couple of weeks she became bored with her own limited choices and requested to have only margarine and pickle.

When I suggested cheese sandwiches to her I received a complete no ' I don't like that'. I suggested cheese because I knew she loved cheese sauce with pasta and I wanted to broaden her lunchtime diet. I could bring myself to give her the margarine and pickle sandwiches she requested but I thought that if she ate cheese sauce I could replace the margarine in her sandwiches with cheese spread.It was a great success she thought she was eating margarine and pickle but I had actually broadened her lunchtime diet with no pain at all.

Broadening the diet of older children

Take notice of the food your child likes and try mixing it into new foods. Don't be discouraged if your child refuses a particular food item, simply try giving it to them again in different forms. For eXCl,mplethey may refuse fish but readily eat fish fingers. Or refuse the solid form of cheese but eat cheese sauce with pasta. Where possible let them help you prepare the meal and encourage them to try the ingredient that is eatable before cooking. Children will generally partake of something they feel they have contributed to.

Author:  Sonia Michelle
Added:  51 Jun 2009