Q. My son would be happy eating queen cakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. How can I get him to eat healthy food?
It is not uncommon for children to want to eat the same thing all day, every day, but as a parent, it can be frustrating. Encourage your son to try at least a few mouthfuls of different nutritious foods at each meal. Since children are often slow to accept new tastes and textures, you may have to serve a food 10 to 15 times before they try it. Do not overwhelm him with too many new things at once.
Also, try not to let your son's pickiness become a source of mealtime tension. Rather than going out of your way to cook him a special meal, include something he likes in every meal. Another thing you have to be careful of doing with fussy eaters is to use food as a reward. Telling your son that he can have some cake if he eats his sukuma wiki only reinforces the appeal of the sweet stuff over the vegetables.
I would also suggest that you involve your son in preparing food. You could look for recipes with ingredients he likes and invite him to join you in the shopping, cooking, and serving of food. Don't let them fill up on juice and try offering veggies as between-meal snacks. If your child likes peanut butter, let her put it on other foods as a topping. You could also use cookie cutters to transform food into fun shapes he will enjoy biting.
**********
Q. My daughter is four-and-a-half. Should she be exercising?
Yes, it is true that physically exercise is important at any age, and children who are active at a young age tend to stay active later in life. They also have a lower risk of becoming overweight or developing heart disease.
At four-and-a-half, your daughter's "exercise" will most likely be in the form of playing — running, playing tag, or kicking a ball around. So the best thing you can do is to ensure that she gets plenty of time outside, away from the TV. As much as possible, join in. Not only does this set a good example, but you will also get some quality time together.
**********
Q. My youngest child, who is 19 months old, seems to have developed a taste for dry dog food. Should I be worried?
While I do not know why your child prefers dog food, I do know that it is probably not a good idea. Aside from the fact that dog food is not nutritionally sound for humans and dog dishes are not clean, the small, dry pieces could cause choking. Also, dogs are often very territorial over their food. Even a gentle dog can turn on a child who is playing with its food. Due to this, dog food dishes should always be off limits to children.
Only put enough food in your dog's dish for that meal, and then put it away after the dog is done. Also ensure that your child stays away from the dog while he is eating. Encourage your toddler to try other finger foods that are suited for humans, like cereal or crackers.
The writer is a clinical nutritionist and certified by the Nutritional Therapy Council in the UK. Please direct any questions about family nutrition to her on living@nutritionbysona.com
Jobs in Africa - www.wejobs.blogspot.com
International Jobs - www.jobsunited.blogspot.com
Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda
wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com Utapata Email ya kudhibitisha ukishatuma
Disclaimer:
Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Wanabidii" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
0 Comments