The First 3 Years is Very Important for the Baby

The care and discipline you will show the baby until he or she is 3 years old form the foundation for him/her to be a healthy individual for life.

Nutrition and diet specialists say, “The foods you give your baby determine the risk of possible obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in the future.” Because the diet determines the number of fat cells in your baby’s body.

“The high number of fat cells formed in his body also prepares the ground for his invitations to diseases.”

Breast milk is such a miraculous food source! You should not withhold this miraculous food source from your baby, especially in the first 6 months.

During this period, your one and only baby’s main food should be mother’s milk as much as possible because he does not require any other food.

In general, starting from the tenth month, breast milk can no longer be the child’s staple food and can be discontinued at a time convenient for the mother until the age of 2 years.

What about after weaning from breast milk, which nutrient will be sufficient for the development of our baby?

The care and discipline you will show until the baby is 3 years old are the foundations laid for him to be a healthy individual for life.

Nutrition and Diet Specialists also add, “We would like to emphasize that these foundations were laid by the parents.” 

“The foods you give your baby determines the risk of possible obesity, heart and diabetes in the future. Because you create the number of fat cells in your baby’s body according to the diet. The high number of fat cells formed in his body also prepares the ground for his invitations to diseases.”

Critical Points in Your Baby’s Nutrition for the First 3 Years

In this period, it is necessary to pay attention to the intake of salt, sugar, fruits and vegetables, protein consumption and a balanced diet!

Taste of Food; Salt…

Excess salt consumption can cause problems in the body at any age, but babies need to be treated more sensitively in this regard.

Since the kidneys of babies are not developed enough, they cannot excrete the excess sodium (i.e. salt) in the body. Thus, sodium begins to be stored in the baby’s body in the very early period. This can increase the likelihood of developing high blood pressure in the future.

Studies have shown that the average salt intake in infants and children today is higher than the recommended amount for their age group. The biggest factor here is that babies start to consume their family’s food while they are feeding.

It has been observed that the salt intake of the babies started to increase rapidly after the baby was weaned and fed with the foods that the family ate. However, babies under the age of 1 should not consume more than 1 gram (half a teaspoon) of salt per day, and children between the ages of 1-6 should not consume more than 2 grams (1 teaspoon) per day.

There is a lot of salt in foods such as cheese, bread, bakery dishes. Again, in some regions, cow’s milk, which mothers start at a very early age, also contains twice as much salt as a standard infant formula.

Sausage, pizza, cereals, snacks, home cooking with salty ingredients or added salt cause a baby to get half of his daily salt need in a single serving. For this reason, you should start babies on ready-to-eat foods as late as possible, and try to cook the meals you cook at home without salt as much as possible.

Indispensable for Healthy Tables; Vegetables…

It is one of the most difficult issues for mothers to feed vegetables, which even some adults do not enjoy eating, to children at the age of 12-36 months. In fact, babies hardly get used to vegetables because they leave 10 to 15 distinct flavors when first taken into the mouth.

Until the baby reaches the real taste of the vegetable, he may be bothered by these bitter tastes in his mouth. From the first years, giving the baby a taste of various vegetables and changing these flavors every day is one of the best ways to develop his taste.

Experts report that the more variety of vegetables given to the baby in a week, the more comfortable the baby will accept the new tastes. For this reason, it is useful to continue your efforts to feed vegetables, but without forcing your child too much.

Vegetables, which are literally a source of fiber, help the baby to have a healthier intestinal flora in the future, as it prevents constipation.

Natural Source of Sugar, Fruits…

You can make fun snacks with fruits for your child, because children love to eat fruits, which are a natural source of sugar. For this reason, fruits are one of the foods that mothers eat without any difficulty.

Fruits contain vitamins A and C, potassium and other minerals needed for children’s skin, eye and gum health. Fruits also contain carbohydrates and fiber. As a result, it adds energy to the energies of children.

Protein for Healthy Bones and Muscles

Of course, the days will come when your tiny and defenseless babies will be tall and strong. But if you pay attention to the proteins he takes!

Proteins and minerals necessary for the development of your baby’s bone and muscle system are also of great importance for a healthy body in the future.

Make sure to offer your baby chicken, meat, turkey and fish every day, starting with a well-ground soft puree. Meat varieties are essential foods for your baby’s development after the 12th month. In addition, milk, which is another protein store, starts to be given externally after twelve months.

You should make sure that the milk you buy from the market is full-fat. Babies under the age of 2 should not be given milk with a fat content of less than 2%.

Sweet Trouble in Our Heads, Sugar…

Babies are born sweet-sensitive. For this reason, they like all sweet foods. However, the baby who gets used to the sweet taste has difficulty in consuming other foods.

The mother also finds it difficult to feed her baby with “tasteless” foods.

Babies may not be able to fully take in other nutrients. To prevent this from happening, try to give your baby the sweet taste only from fruit. Introduce your baby to foods such as pure sugar and sugary foods, chocolate, as late as possible.