Some misconceptions about… feeding young children.
Source : BNP Paribas Cardif validated by Rouen University Hospital
Summary
- Breastfeeding stops before a year.
- At six months, we move on to diversification.
- Children and adults, separate table?
- He grows up, he needs energy, so he can eat as much as he wants.
- You have to finish your plate.
- What I see on television is good for my child.our mon enfant.
- All meals are important.
- Sweets, chips and sodas are forbidden.
Breastfeeding stops before a year.
According to the WHO, breast milk remains the best food for babies and young children, and breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond could be beneficial for both children and mothers.
- In some countries, manufacturers carry out very aggressive marketing campaigns to convince young mothers to use infant milk rather than their own breast milk. Each mother has the choice to breastfeed or not, or to opt for an alternation of breast and infant milk.
At six months, we move on to diversification.
- Whether the child is fed breast milk or infant milk, the six-month stage is when you can start introducing small amounts of food: vegetable or fruit purees, a little crushed banana, baby cereals…
- How to know if the child is ready, that he is hungry? He will necessarily give signs, putting his hands in his mouth for example. The discovery of solid food is confusing, so do not insist, and offer only a few spoons per meal.
Children and adults, separate table?
- It is by observing others – and especially his parents – that the child apprehends the discovery of food. If he observes you eating regular and varied meals, appreciating what is on your plate, tasting fruits and vegetables, he can be inspired in turn. This identification also applies to the preparation of meals (market, choose products, prepare them together in the kitchen).
He grows up, he needs energy, so he can eat as much as he wants.
It is important that a child have all the energy resources, nutrients and hydration necessary to grow and perform all activities while remaining healthy. However, portions should be monitored, especially when it comes to protein (meat, fish, eggs, etc.), fat (butter, cream, etc.), starch (rice, pasta, etc.) and sugar. These are good habits that will establish a healthy relationship with food and quantities.
You have to finish your plate.
Insisting on the consumption of a food or forcing a child to finish his plate can create a complicated behavior with food in general or with certain foods. It is better to remain in kindness, and rather ask that the child taste a little of everything, even if it means reintroducing these foods to other meals and in other forms.
What I see on television is good for my child.
Marketing and advertising teams have understood this for a long time: the food we see in ads will mark our unconscious. This is even more true for young children, who are increasingly exposed to screens: studies have shown that they are particularly influenced. A marketing argument about a so-called “natural” processed product, “low in sugar” or “high in fibre” will never be as strong as a fresh fruit or a simple, minimally processed food, such as plain yogurt or whole grain bread from a baker.
All meals are important.
- From weaning, so from about a year, the child can be offered three meals a day, as well as a snack at snack time. These meals should be as balanced as possible, made if possible with fresh products and little or no processed. Breakfast remains an essential time, especially for schoolchildren, as it will determine how they start their day and their ability to be attentive and fit until lunch.
- Despite the numerous marketing calls for many industrial breakfast products (cereals, cakes, drinks, etc.), it is still best to rely on raw or minimally processed products: yogurt with fruit and/or oatmeal, an egg, a whole wheat bread sandwich with butter…
Sweets, chips and sodas are forbidden.
Very sweet drinks and snacks, ultra-processed foods are often those that children claim the most, because they are exposed to advertising but also to the behaviors of their friends. If it is of course necessary to avoid consuming them on a regular or daily basis, they can be reserved for holidays and special occasions, to not «demonize» them.