Introducing new foods
As baby grows, he or she will gradually start taking more solids.
With Mother’s Day drawing nearer, you may think that it’s the perfect occasion to
start introducing baby to the wonders of solid food.
But wait! Unlike you, your little one’s taste buds works in an entirely different
manner from yours. Introducing foods too quickly or force feeding your child a food
can lead to baby associating food with unpleasantness. This might cause baby to
have poor eating habits later which might in turn affect your child’s immunity against
diseases and germs.
Here’s how you can introduce your young one to the joys of healthy eating in an
enjoyable way:
Offer new foods only when your child is in a good mood and at the start of a meal.
Make mealtimes fun and interactive.
Baby may insist on only eating if he can hold the food in his hands. Serve vegetables,
soft fruit and other foods in bite-sized pieces or sticks so he can hold it in his
hands.
Serve foods in a variety of shapes, e.g. using cookie cutters on apple and potato
slices, to entice your child.
Enjoy it yourself. Baby’s more inclined to try something you like!
Reward him with praises, kisses and hugs if baby accepts the new food. Positive
reinforcement will encourage him.
If baby rejects certain food, don’t force him. Give it a rest and reintroduce it
at a later period. Generally it can take up to 10 days for a child to accept a new
food.