L‘feeding children it has recently been the focus of numerous reflections. Indeed, experts agree that eating disorders are increasing in childhood, also as a consequence of the pandemic. Among the underlying problems, the how family meals are often experienced: a ritual that should be of serenity for everyone, ends up turning into a moment of tension. Between children who refuse to eat and parents who, because of this, get anxious. What to do then?
The answer comes from pediatricians and dieticiansoften very popular on the partnersthere, and ready to help moms to dad providing them useful information to educate the little ones to the principles of healthy eating. By banning anxiety and stress. The purpose? Bring back – finally – serenity at the table. Here is what some of them have explained to us.
Children’s nutrition: the importance of a healthy relationship with food
«Today it is very important to encourage children to have a healthy relationship with food – she tells us Dr. Carla Tomasinibetter known on social media as the Pediatrician Carla – in fact, at this moment the relationship with food has been lost, both due to bad lifestyle habits and because, after the pandemic, we found that meals have become a critical time for family relationships. In other words, many children have vented their psychological difficulties at the table ». This is a factor that partly explains why eating disorders have drastically increased in childhood. «Often we tend to reduce everything to a problem of “Do not eat / eat too much” – continues the pediatrician – in reality eating disorders arise from the mind and from the relationship with food and family. That is, they are the mirror of the relationship one has with the external environment. Food represents what enters the world in us: if there is something wrong around it, this affects the diet ».
The aversion to food? Often need not worry
One of the problems parents have to deal with most often is the aversion of children to certain foods. Vegetables in the first place. But beware: we don’t necessarily have to think that rejection is the sign of a problem. “Often, especially in the period between 2 and 5 years of lifemany children have traits of neophobia, that is the refusal of new foods, especially of the vegetable group. – explains Dr. Carla Tomasini again – However, it is a usually transient phenomenon which can be overcome with a little food education in the family ».
Feeding children: a book to discover healthy foods
Precisely with this intent it was born “Let’s play with friendly foods” (The Ladybird), the new book for children signed by the pediatrician Carla. The refusal of food, typical of children, here takes on the appearance of a magician with an unequivocal name, Blè What it is, protagonist of a fun adventure made of games and windows to open. Through the history and the proposed activities, children can thus become familiar with essential foods for healthovercoming anxieties and fears related to food.
The cover of the book “Let’s play with friendly foods” – La Coccinella
Feeding of children: when parental anxiety is the problem
Often, however, it is above all to peek at the table parental anxiety, worry that the child is not eating enough or that he is not getting the foods essential for growth. “We must first of all remember that anxiety feeds a vicious circle. – the pediatrician Tomasini warns – Qhen the child discards certain foods, even in a physiological way, the innate fear of the parents that the child does not eat enough, ends up making things worse, creating an uncomfortable situation at the table“. The first rule, then, is not to be discouraged by the refusal of the little ones for certain foods and continue to offer refused foods. «If a food is not liked, usually the parent makes it disappear from the menu. – emphasizes the pediatrician – Instead, exactly the opposite is true: if a food is discarded, we have to propose it more often. The question is not to insist but to be constant in proposing the discarded food. Presenting that food several times at the table without even expecting the taste but just making it very frequent in the eyes of the child. The motto must be: bad that goes don’t eat it!“.
When the refusal of food is pathological
Different speech if the foods that the child refuses are so many that they affect his lifestyle and well-being. «If it is just a few discarded foods and not a wide range and if the child grows, develops his motor stages, is calm and, based on the visits to the pediatrician, everything is normal, you don’t have to worry. – in fact, the pediatrician specifies – Rejection is considered pathological when it is persistent, covers a wide range of foods and the child finds himself eating 4/5 types of food. For example, cutlet, white pasta and biscuits. In this case it also becomes a nutritional deficiency problem. Not only that, this selectivity can affect the social life of the child who stops going to birthdays or does not eat at the school canteen ».
Healthy nutrition begins with weaning
But when can you start to educate the little ones in the principles of healthy eating? Verdiana Raminadietician from 175 thousand followers, he has no doubts: «It starts right away, that is weaning! “
After the book “Weaning for the whole family” published by Gribaudo, Verdiana Ramina is in fact back in the bookstore with “Jelly with animal cards” (Quid +). A kit consisting of game cards that teach children (in the 0-3 age range) to become familiar with food, and a guide book designed for parents. Inside there are many useful tips on how to set up a balanced menu and above all on how live peacefully at mealtimesstarting from weaning.
The parent does not have to be a gendarme at the table
«The moment of weaning must not be lived with anxiety – explains Verdiana Ramina – because it is one of the best moments in life with the baby, allows us to witness his first discoveries. It is a beautiful moment that we risk losing in the anxiety of the thought of how many grams he has actually eaten ». For this, it is also essential learn to review our approach to the meal. “The parent doesn’t have to get to the meal like a gendarme who checks if his child eats – emphasizes Verdiana Ramina again – I always say: we parents we are not the proponents of hunger and satiety of our children. We can simply make well-balanced dishes available to the child, but then it is the child who decides how much to eat ».
Healthy dish: where to start?
«As I explain in the book, there are essentially two principles of healthy eating that we should all know and that we often tend to ignore. – continues the dietician – The concept of food pyramidthat is the frequency of consumption of food, and that of healthy dish, with the balanced division of food ». Starting from simple rules, therefore, weaning the baby can also become the right opportunity to learn a new and healthier approach to food in the family. Based on variety and right proportions.
The game book “Pappa con le carte degli animali” – Quid +
Beware of distractions!
Another aspect that, according to experts, negatively affects children’s relationship with foodis thehabit of resorting to distractions to “make them eat”. The classic example is that of feed the child by placing him in front of the tablet.
«The idea of the game book Pappa with animal cards was born from two factors – explains Barbara Franco, creator of the Quid + editorial line – taste education and the combination of technology and food. The awareness that children are eating more and more industrial products and that at mealtimes they are focused on a digital deviceled me to create a game that could, on the one hand, educate the child to a healthy and balanced diet, and on the other, help him to experience the moment of the meal as an opportunity for experimentation and knowledge. The ultimate goal? To commute the moment of the baby food in a family habit, without technological devices and with the involvement of the whole family “.
Feeding children: focus on fruit and vegetables is possible!
Finally, another big parental dilemma is often to succeed feed small fruits and vegetables. To support mothers and fathers grappling with the age-old problem, the Doctor Marco Nuara, Specialist in Pediatrics with Specialization in Neonatology, Gastroenterology, Immunology and Pediatric Allergology. In collaboration with Babaco Market, the Made in Italy delivery of fruit and vegetables created to combat waste, Dr. Nuara, very active on social media, in fact, it provides parents with useful insights to make the little ones accept even the most hated vegetables.
“A correct consumption of fruit and vegetables helps children to grow, to support the functions of the organism and physical, mental and social well-being at all ages and is useful in the prevention of many diseases” – specifies the pediatrician.
How to get vegetables accepted?
If the little one refuses vegetables, therefore, it is forbidden to give up because there are strategies to stem the problem. «Vegetables often come proposed as a side dish and thus assumes an unattractive appearance – suggests Doctor Nuara – But it can also be offered by grab with your hands and nibble as a snackor used to dress pasta, grains, couscous, so that you become less side dish and more cheerful protagonist of delicious recipes“. Perhaps the broccoli will continue not to eat them but for sure, putting aside anxiety and fears, the results will not fail. In the gallery above, then, 10 strategies to overcome children’s food aversions and educate for a healthy relationship with food.
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