When it comes to the baby's eating problem, many parents are a handful of bitter tears. In this regard, Dr. Yang Xiaolin of Zhuzhou Maternal and Child Nutrition Clinic provides you with guidance.
There are no children who are not born to love to eat, most of the children are small hungry cats, see delicious, like to eat, the essence of foodie is immediately revealed. Children do not like to eat, excluding illness, lack of certain trace elements, there are no more than two reasons, one is not hungry! The other is not wanting to eat! And most of these two reasons are parent-led.
If the baby does not like to eat, first of all, to rule out whether it is physical discomfort:
1. When you are sick, your appetite will definitely be bad. The baby's gastrointestinal development is not perfect, the immune system is also more fragile, and it is easy to have rashes, bloating, accumulation of food, poor appetite and so on. If there are symptoms of discomfort, you should take your baby to the hospital for examination in time, rather than forcibly feeding your baby.
2. Zinc is the basic component of taste protein, long-term zinc deficiency can lead to a decrease in taste sensitivity, affecting taste and appetite. Children who are picky eaters, recurrent infectious diseases, and sweating are prone to zinc deficiency. Zinc is abundant in oysters, red meat, and animal offal. Zinc deficiency generally does not occur in children at a normal diet and without disease.
If there is zinc deficiency is also the first choice of dietary supplements, it is recommended to take the child to the regular hospital for relevant examinations, the doctor combined with the medical history and clinical manifestations to make a diagnosis of zinc deficiency, can be targeted treatment, it is not recommended to take zinc on their own.
After eliminating physical health problems, let's take a look:
1. "Flavor" your meal too soon
Common misunderstandings: many elderly people feel that the baby does not have the strength to put salt in the dish, add salt to the baby's complementary food too early, and some families use too rich spices and flavorings for a long time, and the baby will "mouth weight" for a long time, and the baby does not like to eat for the food with a light taste.
Do this: Within the age of 1 year, do not add extra salt to the diet, and try to maintain a light and flavorful diet after the age of 1, and develop good eating habits.
2. Eat snacks and eat sweets
Common misunderstandings: most children like to eat snacks, many parents themselves also love to eat snacks, and some parents are afraid of the baby's hunger, just add fruit, biscuits, snacks, yogurt and so on to the baby before and after meals... The baby's food intake is originally smaller than that of adults, the mouth does not stop before the meal, the stomach is not idle, so long-term will disturb the gastrointestinal peristalsis and digestive juice secretion law, the child is difficult to have a regular sense of hunger, but also lost the interest in eating a meal.
Do not let the baby within 1 year old consume added sugar, 1-3 year old baby daily intake of added sugar is controlled within 10 grams (the less the better); for larger children, do not exceed 25 grams per day, like candy, dessert, ice cream, sweet drinks and other high-sugar foods, can be eaten occasionally, but must not eat every day.
3. Blind pursuit of "high nutrition"
Common misunderstandings: parents one-sidedly pursue high-energy, high-protein foods, ignoring the necessity of a balanced diet, insufficient intake of grains and vegetables, resulting in long-term dietary imbalance in children damaging the stomach and intestines, causing food accumulation, indigestion and so on.
This way: in the choice of food, you should pay attention to avoid high-sugar, high-oil foods, high-protein foods should also be appropriate, potato chips, chocolate, candy and other high-calorie snacks should also be eaten as little as possible for the baby.
4. The house baby moves too little
Common misunderstandings: children exercise enough, metabolism slows down, and gastrointestinal digestive function is not strengthened. For example, after breakfast, there was no exercise in the morning, and by lunchtime, breakfast had not been fully digested, let alone the feeling of hunger. In fact, the amount of exercise required for children to maintain healthy development is far more than most parents think.
To do this: Children aged 3-6 years should have at least 180 minutes of cumulative exercise per day, of which moderate and above intensity exercise (brisk walking, throwing and picking up balls, running, etc.) should be at least 60 minutes, and outdoor activities should be carried out for at least 120 minutes. (Refer to the "China Preschool Children's Sports Guide")
5. Chase the baby to feed
Common myth: Many parents like to chase their babies to feed. The baby eats slowly, the parents chase and feed; if the baby is not full, the parents chase and feed; the baby is leftover, the parents chase and feed... This is actually a "lazy" approach; over time the baby will lose interest in eating, thinking that even if I don't eat, someone will feed me.
To do this: parents should establish the rule of "eating on time" for the baby, the baby knows that he is not hungry, if the baby does not want to eat, parents do not chase and feed, but tell the baby, if you do not eat at this time, you have to wait until the next meal to eat, and there is no other food for you to eat at this time.
6. Single type of complementary food
Common misunderstanding: When adding complementary foods to the baby, many parents see what the baby likes to eat and have been doing what the baby does, or has been making the same dish for the baby for convenience, and the baby will of course get tired of eating for a long time.
This way: So parents try to change the pattern, taste, change the shape of the food, change the beautiful plate, put the food into the image of the cartoon character, so that the baby has an interest and freshness in the matter of eating.
7. Poor eating habits
Common misunderstanding: The formation of baby eating habits is a problem worth noting. Many babies play with toys, watch TV, play electronic products while eating, and their attention is completely absent from eating, patronizing cartoons and playing games, so that under such eating habits, no matter how delicious the meal, the baby will not eat well.
To do this: Parents must cultivate the baby's good eating habits, eat when eating, do not interfere with the baby with other things. Parents can also choose face-to-face feeding, which not only ensures the safety of the baby, will not fall or fall, but also strengthens the eye contact between the baby and the parents, cultivates the baby's interest in things and good eating habits, and gradually synchronizes the baby with the family. At the same time, parents should also set a good example, do not play mobile phones and watch TV when eating, otherwise the baby will also "learn from the same".
8. Blame and scare your baby while eating
Common misunderstanding: many parents will be angry and anxious when they see that the baby is not eating well, so as to blame, scare, and force the baby, you know, this can not solve any problem, the baby will not like to eat. The baby will think that as soon as he eats, he will be scolded by his parents and fathers.
Do this: So parents should first calm down, there are many reasons why the baby does not eat, first observe and communicate with the baby, determine why the baby does not want to eat, and then use the right method to solve.
(Yang Xiaolin)