What Makes Healthy Diets For Children Nutritious?

With plenty of information available online, it can be very challenging for most parents to make the right dietary choice for their little ones. Parents must always remember that a child’s diet is very crucial to his growth and development. Moreover, the habits he usually picks up ad manifests during his young age will greatly affect his eating habits later in his life. The rule of the thumbs says that children must eat 3 balanced meals each day, with 2 healthy snacks in between.

Tips To Providing Nutritious Meals For Your Child

Milk – During your child’s first 6 months, he will rely solely on milk for all his nutritional needs. And at this age, infant formula is the only alternative to breast milk. Health experts highly emphasized that you must introduce cow’s milk only when he reaches the age of one. Still, there are instances when this happens before he becomes a year old. So you need to choose the best infant formula. You can ask his pediatrician for recommendations. When he begins to eat solid foods, provide him with starchy foods, proteins, and fruits and vegetables.

Carbohydrates – If your child is below 13 months old, he will have a hard time eating whole grains and fiber. However, beyond that age, he can definitely consume these foods already. During this time, you can start giving him whole nuts and other healthy fat and fiber sources.

Protein – This nutrient is very essential for your child’s bodily functions. For instance, did you know that a child will need 9 essential amino acids that can only be sourced from his food? Some of the best sources of protein are milk, fish, lean meats, and dairy products. Also, there are some vegetables that have protein but usually, these are incomplete and must be consumed along with other excellent protein sources.

Fruits & Vegetables – Your child must eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables. Depending on your child’s size, activity level and age, the portion size can be adjusted. A portion is equal to the size of your kid’s hand.

Fats & Sugar – You need to limit your child’s intake of fats and sugars. For fats, some of the healthy sources include seeds, oily fish and nuts. Do not totally omit fats in his diet because this can also help in vitamin and mineral absorption. For sugary treats, such as pastries and biscuits, give it only during special occasions because eating too much may result to obesity and other health issues in the future.

About the author: Myrna Golernme wants to ensure her child’s healthy growth and development. She is very thankful to pediasurearabia.com for providing helpful tips and tricks.

Learning How To Manage Pregnancy Weight Gain

For most pregnant women, gaining weight is very common. It is indeed expected that a women will naturally gain weight during pregnancy as she is growing another human life inside her body. However, health experts say that pregnant women or soon-to-be moms should learn to control their hunger and cravings for foods to stay healthy. Although rapid weight gain in most pregnant women is very common, it is not a healthy situation and can be very risky. This may lead to several different health complications such as diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, preeclampsia, miscarriage and difficulty in childbirth. Hence, it is always best to learn how to control your food cravings and manage pregnancy weight gain. Check out what the experts have to say.

- Avoid worrying. Stress is one of the reasons a person gains weight. This is also true with pregnant women. Avoid worrying too much as this may have an adverse effect on your disposition which will result to weigh gain. Always have a positive mindset. Most pregnant women suffer from worrying too much. Although this is normal, this is very unhealthy.

- Seek the help of a health professional about your health and nutritional needs. Ask questions about your diet and know what types of foods are best for you. Know the right amount of calories you should be consuming per meal. This way, you can plan ahead on what food you will be eating and you can control your food intake much better.

- Do not forget to exercise. There are several types of exercises that are best for pregnant women. Avoid those that require too much physical movements as those may be risky for you and the baby. Walking for an hour is already enough. Better yet, ask your doctor about the state of your baby so you do not put him in danger when exercising.

- Opt for more fruits and vegetables. Opting for fruits and vegetables is always the best choice. Avoid foods that are rich in sugar, salty types of foods and those with lots of fats. Fresh fruit juice is a smart option for your drinks. Eat more food rich in calcium and vitamins. Limit your meat intake and go for more vegetables.

These are some tips shared by the health experts for women who want to learn to manage pregnancy weight gain.

The Top 3 Tips For Making A Picky Eater’s Diet Healthier

Many parents and caregivers have taken up the role of being a short order cook today. This is mainly because they have kids or wards that are picky eaters. If they serve a dish that the children don’t like, they’ll cook a different one that the young ones will prefer. This habit, of course, is not healthy. And it certainly won’t do anything good for your young picky eater.

Changing Your Child’s Unhealthy Eating Habit

The key to having your child go on a healthy diet is to correct their bad eating habits first. The good news is that there are many ways to do this. You can start correcting a picky eater’s diet by following the tips below:

1. Work on your presentation. Keep in mind that kids also eat with their eyes. However, you can get them to eat fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods they don’t normally like by presenting the dishes in an appealing manner. You can start by creating a smiley face on a toast with berries and bananas. You can also get your child involved in the prepping procedure so that they can put their own designs on the food they will eat.

2. Get the whole family to eat at the table. Your child will certainly have a role model within the family. If he or she sees this model eat healthy fares at mealtimes, there is a high chance your child will imitate the adult and at least sample some of veggies and fruits served at the table. In addition, make meals family-style. This means placing each food item on the table in a serving dish and each person helps themselves to whatever items they desire. By following this strategy, a picky eater will be less picky if he or she can serve their own plate. In addition, this will greatly decrease the stress surrounding mealtime. When you let your child feel in control of his or her own plate eliminates the power-struggle that results from controlling your kid’s meals. And when they are more relaxed, they are more likely to try new foods on their own.

3. Serve different veggies and fruits. Lastly, if your child doesn’t like broccoli, it doesn’t mean he or she hates carrots as well. The point is, don’t give up so easily if your picky eater doesn’t like a particular vegetable or fruit. There are many types of organic produce. Choose ones that they haven’t tried yet and you may be surprised: your child may end up liking it.

By Diana Sterling, a nutritionist, with additional information about correcting picky eaters diet from https://pediasurearabia.com/sa/en/healthy-eating-tips/yuck-o-meter.