We all know the importance of prenatal nutrition to ensure your growing baby gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs for healthy development, but did you realise that what you eat during pregnancy not only nourishes your baby but can also influence their tastes and food preferences for years to come?
Pregnancy websites and books all tell us how essential it is to get enough omega 3s, protein, iron and folate when you’re expecting. But scientists have also discovered that during this time it’s possible to start shaping your child’s healthy eating habits – and in turn lower their risk of obesity and diabetes – by introducing them to certain flavours in utero.
As a paediatric nutritionist, I have parents begging me to help them with their fussy eaters – and I find it really exciting that it’s possible to get a head start on a lifetime of healthy eating before your baby is even born. In my workshops, I always explain that there are three key stages of influence when it comes to encouraging a balanced and varied diet:
1) What mum eats during the third trimester
2) What mum eats while breastfeeding
3) What the whole family eats when introducing solids
Top Comments
Can the topic of the next article please be abut how to wean your child off an NG or NJ tube please? There are a number of us out there, many of our babies / toddlers have oral aversions, we want to avoid a PEG or PEJ, and want to not have a tube-dependent child -- it is HARD!
Advice would be very welcome.
We’ve had some success with Skype sessions with the food therapist who runs the blog “Play With Food”, if you’re at the point of possibly needing a PEG, you need someone who can help your child specifically (there are lots of reasons why kids have oral aversions).