Mothers today have the distinct advantage of having more information on child nutrition compared to the past. This means that you will have to sift through many things that might not be true as everyone has an opinion on nutrition, but not everyone has science to back it up. Mothers in the past did not have the opportunity to make decisions for themselves on what was healthy for their children to eat. The following are tips to help with your children’s nutrition through each stage of their life.
Infant and Toddlers
Feeding an infant or toddler can be quite difficult as they cannot verbalize that they do not like something. A picky infant can have issues with their stomachs that cannot be seen or described by them. Go to the doctor if your child is having trouble eating as this can impair physical growth and brain development. Trying a different type of formula like an European baby formula can help with this issue. Some formula companies put fewer additives which is healthier for the baby and can reduce stomach problems.
Preteen
This is the growing stage as you watch your child sprout from the small child you could once hold. This is the time to watch your child’s food intake closely which should not be difficult as you or your partner will be managing meal prep. Teaching your child that a healthy diet is a staple of a productive day and optimum performance is important. This is a lesson that they will take with them for the rest of their lives if you are great role models in this sense. Preteens tend to love junk food but during their teens or early 20s this is sure to catch up to them as their metabolism slows. This can be a time where you begin to start teaching your child how to cook in a healthy fashion. This can also help decrease the workload for you and your significant other. Learning how to cook at this age can help out with the teen years and the beginning of college immensely.
Teenager
The teenage diet is one that differs depending on the teen. Athletes in high school usually are instructed by a coach to bulk up or lose a bit of weight. This means that your teen has to change their regular diet and might have to deviate from what the rest of the family is eating. Portion control is the most important thing to stress here as many coaches want a player to bulk up in a healthy fashion. Most coaches are not willing to sacrifice speed for weight so they want you to either get faster with more weight or maintain your speed. A bigger and slower player is not generally useful in a majority of sports.
As you can see there is no one size fits all diet for all families. Take the time to visit a nutritionist to put your family on the right program today if you cannot seem to put together a meal plan that works for everyone!
Written by Emily Green for Working Mother and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.
Featured image provided by Working Mother
