Foods To Avoid Giving Babies And Young Children

For the first few months, breast milk is sufficient for a baby. It is the direction of WHO (World Health Organization). But, as your baby grows, starting a variety of healthy foods at the proper time is important for proper growth and development. Starting good eating habits at this early stage will help set healthy eating patterns for life.

A visiting pediatrician in a Childcare in La Palma, CA tells that appropriate and healthy feeding of your baby during the first few years of life is very important. More growth occurs during the first year than at any other time in a child’s life. For the first 4 o 5 months, solid foods should not be started unless the physician advises you to do so. Solid foods should not be started for infants younger than 4 months because mother’s milk is sufficient and supply all nutrients that a baby needs. It also helps to enhance the immune system of the baby. Besides this, your baby is not physically developed enough to eat solid foods from a spoon. After six months, start giving baby semisolid food like mashed rice, mashed potato, etc. and after one year try to make a healthy eating habit of your child.

Parents often ask what is a healthy eating habit. It is not overstuffing your babies with all healthy good foods. Even good food can be trouble if it is not paired properly. The wrong food combination can trigger many health issues in kids. According to a dietician in a Childcare center in La Palma, CA, healthy eating is balanced eating. There is no need to add salt and sugar to your child’s food because pulses, grains, fruits, and vegetables all contain natural salt and sugar which are needed for the body. So, no excess addition of salt and sugar in food is needed.

Babies should not eat much salt as it is not good for kidneys. So do not use salt, stock, spice cubes, or gravy when you are making food for them. Keep your kids far away from salty foods like bacon, sausages, chicken nuggets, chips with added salt, crackers, crisps, processed meat, ready meals, etc.

Sugary food is another favorite food for kids though the baby does not need sugar anymore. Keep them away from sugary foods like cakes, candy, chocolates, readymade fruit juice, etc. because too many sugary foods lead to tooth decay. Restrict giving your children sugar cereals because those cereals are loaded with artificial sugar and flavor.

Children should not be given canned or packaged juices because those foods contain preservatives and color which in the long run may create different health issues like cancer. Moreover, regular intake of canned food can increase the risk of being obese and developing diabetes.

Even good food can create trouble if it is not paired properly. The wrong food combination can trigger many health issues in kids including indigestion, gas, colic, nausea, vomiting, poisoning, etc. Some children are allergic to some types of food. Try to identify it. Visit a pediatrician if your child shows any kind of uncomfortableness after eating any food.