As we saw the importance of nutrients for adults lets now know about the importance of food to young children. Nutrition is essential in every stage. Being young children they will be very much fond of foods which is not much healthier. They must intake food with nutritional values to lead a healthy life ahead.
During childhood, they tend to have varying needs for food. Ideally, they are to be provided with nutritional and healthy foods because they engage in many physical activities and lose lots of energy. Eating behavior evolves during the first years where the children learn to eat through direct experience with food or by observing the people who eat before them.
Safety is a major concern when it comes to feeding young children. There are foods which should be avoided as they tend to have a weaker immune system which makes food poisoning very dangerous.
Foods to avoid while feeding young children
• Beverages like raw food and unpasteurised foods are to be avoided
• Eggs or foods that is raw or partially cooked
• Raw or uncooked meat, poultry and fish
• Sprouts and raw grains
Also, avoid feeding foods directly from the containers like baby food jar. When you double dip the spoon to mouth and again back to the container it might cause bacteria which will grow in the leftover foods and cause food poisoning. All the uneaten food can be thrown away and food which did not have any contact with the child’s mouth can be stored in the refrigerator. Young children have teeth but they can’t handle all types of food. In order to avoid foods, we must not offer a few food items like
• Food items like nuts, sweets, popcorns, chips and food items which are small and firm
• Food items that are slippery, fruits like jerry, berry and small fruits and hard items like lollipops
• Sticky foods such as peanut butter, chewing gums, caramels, jelly, and gummy candies.
Make sure you keep an eye on them while they are eating and always encourage them to take time while they eat because they must chew the food well and eat in order to prevent indigestion.
“As a rule, children dislike foods which are said to be good for them or are forced on them, and they take strong fancies to foods which they are not allowed to eat; advantage should be taken of these tendencies.”
