The importance of early years nutrition
Introduction
A child’s brain is developing rapidly between the age of 0 and 5. The nutrients your child gets during this time will have a great impact on their ability to learn and develop skills later on in life. So it’s important for parents to ensure their children are getting the proper nutrition.
How to create a good diet for your baby.
- Get to know the nutritional needs of your baby.
- Learn how to introduce new foods to your baby.
- Create a good diet for your baby by including different types of food in their diet, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy products (if they’re old enough), fish or eggs every day. You can also offer them fortified cereals that have iron added to them if they’re not eating other sources of iron-rich foods like meats or beans yet.
- Make sure you get enough nutrients during pregnancy so that both mum and child have adequate levels if you decide to breastfeed.
Healthy eating is key to a happy and healthy family.
Early years nutrition is an important part of a child’s development. It can have a lasting effect on their health and wellbeing, as well as their ability to learn at school.
In order to make sure that your family eats well, it is important to:
- Include plenty of fresh food in your diet, such as fruit and vegetables. Many people find it easier to buy frozen or tinned products because they’re convenient but these foods aren’t always as nutritious as fresh produce or meat that has been stored properly after being prepared by yourself (or someone else). If you do choose these options then make sure there are no added sugars or salt in them – try having a look at the ingredients list before buying something new!
- Eat together as much as possible so that everyone gets used to eating the same things at meal times rather than having separate meals on different days which might result in one person not getting enough nutrients needed for growth & development over time due to lack thereof if consumed regularly over long periods without sufficient intake from other sources such “snacks”/”meals”.
Get children involved in choosing the food they eat.
If you want to get your child involved in the cooking process, it’s important that they understand what they are eating. You can help them make up a meal plan or choose what to cook for themselves by letting them get involved in choosing the food you buy.
Children love being able to help out with the shopping and preparation of food, so let them come along when you go grocery shopping and have them choose some items on their own. This will also make it easier for them to understand where their meals come from when you’re at home making up a meal plan!
Plan ahead so you can still keep it fresh!
- For starters, it’s important to keep in mind that food loses its nutritional value over time. So if you’re planning on making a big batch of something and freezing it, be sure to freeze it soon after cooking – the fresher the better!
- If there’s leftover food from your meal prep day (or week), don’t let them go to waste! Instead of throwing out leftovers after one or two days in the fridge, try repurposing them into another meal later on down the line: for example, leftover chicken breast could be used as an ingredient in an omelet or frittata.
- Another great way to save money while eating healthy is by shopping at local farmers markets when they’re open during the summer months; this way you’ll get produce at its peak ripeness – and at lower prices too!
Children need a wide variety of foods from the earliest days.
You should offer a wide variety of foods from the earliest days.
- Offer a variety of colours. Children should be offered foods that are red, orange, green, yellow and purple – including fruits like apples and pears; vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin; grains like quinoa or whole grain pasta; legumes such as lentils or kidney beans (which can also be sprouted).
- Offer a variety of textures: crunchy/crumbly; soft/smooth (think cream cheese on bagel vs cream cheese spread on toast); chewy/rubbery (raw carrots vs cooked spaghetti). You’ll want to avoid excessively hard food items until baby’s teeth come in (usually around 6 months old) so that they don’t get hurt while gumming them.
Everything in moderation, except for water!
So, what should you be feeding your child?
- Water. It’s an important part of a balanced diet, and children need to drink plenty of it.
- Breast milk or formula, depending on which you choose. They are essential sources of nutrients for babies’ growing bodies, and it can also help prevent illness in the first few years of life.
A healthy diet helps your child grow up into a healthy adult.
A healthy diet is important for children. A child’s diet should consist of a wide variety of foods from the earliest days. Children need to eat food that has nutrients that their bodies need to grow and develop properly.
Nutrients are substances in food that give us energy, help us stay healthy and make our bodies work properly. A balanced diet also gives you all the vitamins, minerals, fibre and other substances needed by your body every day – these are called essential nutrients because they’re essential to life!
Conclusion
It’s never too early to start eating healthy! The more you know about the benefits of good nutrition, the easier it will be for you to create a healthy diet for your child. If you want more information about how to make sure that your baby gets all the nutrients they need, our team will be happy to help.
