It’s National Nutrition Month: Time to Talk About Food!
posted by: Guest Blogger
Let’s focus on food! It’s one of the main necessities we and our kiddos require, but it can be a parenting challenge. Feeding our children demands a huge amount of attention in our lives, it requires research, shopping, budgeting, meal prep, and at the end of the day kids might just say yuck and turn it down. With March being National Nutrition Month, we think it’s time to address food with the family!
It’s important to find trusted resources to guide you in feeding your child because every child is different, and has different nutritional needs. From breastfeeding to solid food, check out these tips from Bright by Text to help you along the way.
Feeding is a dynamic process and a big adjustment for parents as your baby grows and schedules change in the first year.
- Breastfeeding has healthy benefits for baby and mom including sickness prevention and mom-baby bonding. After feeding, wipe baby’s gums with a washcloth to reduce the risk of cavities.
- Choking risk increases as solid foods are introduced at around 5 months. Your baby is starting to eat solid foods, which means a world of fun but also increased risk of choking. Find a CPR class near you!
- Making homemade baby food is great for your baby and cost-effective for the entire family! Check out this simple chart that shows you how. If you don’t have time to make homemade baby food, don’t worry, food intended for babies is pure and healthy too.
As your child celebrates 1 year of age, their eating habits change.
- Keep in mind that a picky eater may test a new food 12 to 15 times before liking it.
- As you shop for groceries, point out foods you see. Play with the sounds of their names.
- Help kids develop a love of healthy foods through music. Songs are a great way to teach about new foods, and to have fun!
- Food allergies are becoming more common. Some red flags for allergic reactions include tingling sensation, swelling of the tongue and difficulty breathing.
Toddlers can be difficult, here are some strategies to make eating healthy fun for your two and three year old!
- Invite your child to imitate what you do. Pick up your spoon, take some food and say, “mmm,” while you take a bite together.
- Tell your child about a favorite food. Ask him/her to name a food he/she likes that’s in the same category, but different.
- Introduce your child to different healthy foods, and help them understand that we need a variety of healthy foods to keep our bodies strong.
- Point out some of your favorite foods and see if your child likes them, “I love yogurt, do you?”
- Train kids to develop a love of healthy foods. Let them help cook in the kitchen!
Get more parenting tips, games, and other resources, based on the age of your child, sent right to your cell phone 2-5 times a week for FREE with Bright by Text. Text BRIGHT to 274448 to sign up!* Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to 274448 to stop. Text HELP to 274448 for help.
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