We aren’t always on the same page as our children. While all we want is to make sure that our babies have healthy and nutritious meals, infants can be fickle and picky eaters. But whether you’re dealing with a newborn or an aging baby, there are some tricks you can take to make feeding your baby simple. Follow this advice to encourage both a healthy love for food and a love for healthy food in your child.
Use an Organic Formula
If you want your kid to develop healthy habits, you need to make sure that they have quality brain food. For babies that are still eating, that means finding a formula that provides them with what their bodies demand. For that objective, the best course of action is an organic formulaand more specifically a European formula.
This type of baby formula uses only natural ingredients, but it also strives to find the balance of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins that you’d find in normal breast milk.
Trust Your Baby’s Appetite
It can be easy to freak out about whether your baby is eating too much or not enough. But it can also be easy to overthink it. Every child is different, and your baby will let you know when they’ve had their fill. Be patient, and let them go at their own pace. Your baby should reach their birth weight in about two weeks.
If you notice chronic issues of overeating or undereating, it might be time to speak to your pediatrician. The solution could be as simple as trying a new formula, but it’s always best to talk to a professional before making a major dietary change.
Don’t Forget to Burp
Babies need to burp constantly. There’s no health issue with this. Babies are simply still learning to breathe and live properly, and they have a tendency to swallow too much air regularly. That level of bloating can also make them disinterested in having any appetite at all. Burp your baby regularly, and consider whether the issue might be gas rather than a lack of hunger.
Encourage Messy Eating
Generally, we wouldn’t tell you to encourage your kids to make a mess, but they get a pass when they’re still an infant. Eating is a form of both play and experimentation. When kids squish, fling, and crush food, they’re not just being destructive.
They’re being curious about the shapes, textures, tastes, and smells and looking to explore more. Encourage this. A curiosity for food is a good thing, and encouraging it can train less picky and more adventurous eaters.
Encourage Taste Over Consumption
Getting your baby to eat is important. But getting your baby to learn to appreciate the taste of food will build longer-lasting habits that will pay off in the long run.
Getting your child to taste a variety of different flavors is sometimes more important than getting them to eat an entire meal. Forcing a child to eat a meal is the most effective way to discourage them from wanting it. Serving food in small portions and encouraging exploration without force-feeding is the most nurturing approach you can take.
Feed in Quiet
There are countless distractions that babies are exposed to that we’ve gotten used to zoning out. It’s one reason some children have difficulty eating. That’s why you should always try to find as quiet of a place for feeding as possible. Not only will that encourage more attentive mealtime, but it will give you a solid block of quality time to spend alone with your baby.
These tips will help you get started with feeding, but good habits require patience, attention, and a willingness to learn. Fortunately, resources like Milk Drunk can provide you with deeper guidance.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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