Cincinnati Family Magazine

Your # 1 Hometown Family Resource

March 19, 2024

5 Tips for Good Eating in Babyhood

Start Baby off onto the road of wonderful eating with these handy tips from the American Dietetic Association:

1) Feed him when he’s happy
The best time to feed your little one solids is when he’s awake and feeling well. Make sure he’s hungry and that there aren’t a lot of distractions around.

2) Give him choices
Be creative in introducing foods to your little one and avoid the rut of one food over and over again. in the book Baby Love: Healthy, Easy, Delicious Meals for Your Baby and Toddler, it’s suggested that providing single foods may lead to picky eaters. Use familiar foods and mix in new ones. Keep in mind the colors of the rainbow for a variety of flavors and colors.

3) Keep trying
If he turns up his nose at something don’t shelve it entirely. Research shows it can take up to 15 tries before a tot can accept a new food.

4) Be sure it’s tasty
Blend in interesting things! No research shows that babies like bland.

5) Tell him what he’s eating
Let him fall in love with food by naming it and telling him about it. “This is a fruit called baNaNa — isn’t that an interesting name? Yum. Mommy loves bananas. We can also call them Nanas.”

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Susan Day

Susan Day is the editor in chief of Cincinnati Family Magazine and a mother of four.