There are few aspects of parenting that can cause more stress and anxiety than feeding. There are always questions whether or not you are giving your child too much or too little food. When do you start solid food? What foods can you feed a baby? There are so many things to consider when feeding your precious child. Fortunately, feeding your child is not a difficult task. By following some simple rules and tips, this task can soon be a lot less stressful than you anticipate.
One of the most important things to remember when feeding your child is not to overdo it. You should not pile a huge mound of food on the plate and expect them to eat it all. Babies at this age still have small stomachs. They can only really eat a few tablespoons at a time for smaller babies and around ¼ cup at 12 months. You also need to space this out more than just a few times a day. You can serve them 3 meals, but also feed them a few snacks in between.
As you start to introduce more solid foods to your child, you may wonder what is appropriate to feed them or what the best texture of food to offer your child is. The time between 9 and 12 months can be quite difficult when it comes to figuring out what type of food to feed your child. Children need to follow the food pyramid just like older kids and adults need to follow. Nutrition is incredibly important at this age because your baby is growing so rapidly. Fruits and vegetables are important, as is remembering to incorporate grains into the diet in addition to the formula and breast milk.
Just remember that there are foods that you should avoid with a child this age, including:
- Honey
- Uncooked or undercooked eggs
- Fish that is high in mercury
- Whole nuts, though nuts can be offered if they are finely ground
As your child gets more used to feeding, you can offer new and interesting options for your baby to enjoy. You should start with incorporating food that you know your child enjoys with a new food option. For instance if your child loves apples and you want to introduce pears, you should mix some apples in with the pear. You can slowly introduce more textures as your child has seemed to master early stage purees, especially when they start getting more teeth. Offering your child toast is a great option for a child this age, as are items like pasta, chicken nuggets, and grilled cheese for example.
When feeding your child, you should not force feed them or make feeding a stressful thing. They can sense your stress and they will be affected by this. The most important reason to carefully choose nutritious food for your child at a younger age is because you are teaching them healthy habits for when they get older. It is your job to start them off right.
You may also like
