Teaching your child healthy eating habits from a very early age will prepare her to make nutritious food choices as she grows up. KidsHealth reports that you have the responsibility and the power to ensure that your baby develops a healthy relationship with food, based on regular routine and a variety of nutritious foods. Establishing a few techniques in your home will start your baby down the road to healthy eating and proper nutrition.
Create an Eating Routine
Babies thrive on routine because it lets them know what is expected of them and what to expect throughout the day. KidsHealth notes that you should be in charge of when and what your baby eats. Establish a regular eating routine so your baby eats breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks at roughly the same times each day. Include your baby at family meals so she can learn proper eating habits, including the use of utensils and table manners.
Offer Variety
Variety is an important part of healthy eating because eating from each food group ensures that your baby gets enough of each nutrient he needs to grow and develop. Healthy Children notes that you should offer your baby different foods at each meal, and at snack time, and encourage him to try new things. As he learns to enjoy more foods, he will continue to choose those nutritious foods as he gets older. If your baby is unwilling to eat certain foods, keep offering them because it often takes several exposures before he is willing to eat them on his own.
Cleaning The Plate
You may have grown up being expected to clean your plate at mealtimes. KidsHealth notes that this may not be a healthy eating habit because it prevents your baby from learning to recognize her body's cues that her stomach is full and that she needs to stop eating. If your baby learns to recognize her feelings of fullness, she is less likely to engage in overeating behaviors as she grows. Encourage your baby to try new foods and eat what is on her plate, but allow her to stop eating when she is ready.
Restrict Junk Food
Children learn very young how to eat, and if you are offering junk foods, your child will likely choose those foods over more nutritious ones. KidsHealth recommends restricting foods like pizza, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese from your baby's diet and try offering more nutritious foods instead. Your baby is likely to learn how to enjoy healthy foods if you offer them, just as she will learn to prefer junk food if that is what she is served. As she gets older, your baby is more likely to continue choosing healthy foods over unhealthy ones if she learns that behavior as a baby.
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