4 Tips so that 1 year old children don't refuse and eat voraciously
One-year-olds begin to try homemade foods. But sometimes there are times when mealtimes get really scary because kids don't have an appetite. The child may suddenly look away after a few mouthfuls or refuse to come to the table at mealtime.
This is of course very confusing for parents. At this age, breast milk still provides essential nutrition and protection against disease, but other foods are its main source of nutrition and energy. Give your child other foods first and then nurse after if he's still hungry.
Reporting from unicef.org and healthychildren.org, give children some of all the food the family eats. This is to help children get used to the home menu and make children eat voraciously. Every meal needs to be packed with nutritious foods. Make sure the child has a daily portion of animal foods, such as milk, milk, eggs, meat, fish and poultry, plus legumes, such as beans or peas or beans, as well as orange or green vegetables and fruit. Add some oil or fat to their food for energy. Make sure your child's snacks are healthy, such as fresh fruit.
How much and how often does the child eat?
One-year-old children need about 1,000 calories divided into three meals and two snacks per day to meet their needs for growth, energy and good nutrition. Children can consume between three-quarters to one cup of food three to four times a day, plus one to two snacks between meals.
If the child is not breastfeeding, he will need to eat more often. By age 1, around the time he starts walking, a child's meal plan should include four to five meals a day, plus two healthy snacks. Dairy products are a very important part of a child's diet, give him a cup or two of milk a day.
Avoid junk food and soft drinks. Factory-made snacks like chips, cookies, cakes, soda and candy are unhealthy. They have high amounts of sugar, salt, fat and chemicals, and take up space in a child's stomach that would otherwise be filled with nutritious food.
Tips for children who eat voraciously
1. Give children the food they like
Give your child the healthy foods he likes or mix the foods he likes with the foods he doesn't like. Try different food combinations and textures. If the child refuses, don't force or pressure the child to eat, and don't be tempted to give him junk food.
2. Mealtime tips
Having his own bowl of food will help children learn to feed themselves. Start as soon as the child wants. Give your child all the food he needs and plenty of time to eat. At first, the child will be sluggish and messy. Help the child to get most of the food in his mouth. Encourage the child to complete it. Give children lots of love and encouragement to eat during meal times. Sit in front of him and make eye contact. Interact with your child, smile at him, talk to him and praise him for eating. Make mealtime fun.
3. Make meals in small portions
One thing to try is to get the child to eat small portions, those small bites are an extra boost every time they take a bite. A really helpful trick is adding snacks between meals. Treats will make your baby hungrier and allow your child to start eating more at mealtime.
4. Try finger foods
Finger food for 1 year olds is usually much better than other foods. Some finger foods that you can try are undercooked vegetables, such as broccoli and carrots, toast, fruits such as avocado, cuts of meat (boneless) such as chicken, beef and lamb, boiled eggs or omelettes. I hope this is useful and thank you for reading
Reference sources: