Everything you need to know about feeding your kids. From the Division of Responsibility to tips for keeping your kids at the table, to the importance of family meals, I’ve got you covered.
Do you find yourself constantly cleaning up the floor after every meal? Has mealtime become a game where your toddler tosses food down just for you to pick it up again? If so, know that you’re not alone. Food throwing is a common issue plaguing many parents.
When we think of calcium, we often think of bones which is why it is such a crucial nutrient for kids. Calcium is also used in other processes throughout the body and is actually the most abundant mineral in our bodies. Even if your child doesn’t like milk, they can still get all the calcium they need from other sources.
While most people think of vitamin C as a supplement for when you get sick or something you get from orange juice, when we talk about it for kids, the focus is almost always on its ability to aid with iron absorption. Iron is a critical nutrient for young kids and vitamin C can help our bodies absorb more, especially from plant foods.
Many animals are able to make their own vitamin C, but humans are reliant on foods or supplements to get it. Labels list it as ascorbic acid which is the version commonly used in supplements and as a preservative.
Whether we’re talking about infant feeding, introducing solids, or picky eating, vitamin D is an important part of the conversation. Vitamin D is a vitamin that we can technically make ourselves, but most of us do not make enough. There are also no that many good food sources of vitamin D, meaning that many people need to supplement.
One of the critical nutrients all babies need is zinc. Luckily, many of the foods that contain zinc, also contain iron, so if you focus on iron-containing foods, your baby should get all the zinc that they need.
During the first few years of life, your baby’s brain will grow tremendously. What many people don’t realize is that the brain is nearly 60% fat (1). This is why fat is one of the key nutrients I focus on when starting solids. Limiting fat in your baby’s diet is limiting their potential for brain growth! Now we know that not all fat is the same, so how do you choose the healthiest fats for your baby?
You may have heard that you should limit sodium intake for babies. But what does that actually mean? Will 1 french fry do permanent damage (no). Sodium is a nutrient that we all need, but salt tends to be in so many unexpected places. It’s more common to over-consume it.
Up until around 6 months, your baby has been completely reliant on breast milk or formula for all of their needs. Then you get the all clear from the pediatrician to introduce solids and water, but how do you actually do it? And how much water does your baby actually need?
Luckily, not very much at first. We recommend introducing water around 6 months to give your baby plenty of time to practice before they really need to be drinking it for hydration.
If you have a picky eater at home, you know how challenging it can be to come up with healthy snack ideas day after day. One of biggest recommendations for picky eaters is to try and offer variety as much as possible. This can be extremely tricky if your child only like a handful of foods.
