Feeding Children Well
How old does a child have to be to eat seafood such as lobster, crab, shrimp, etc...?
The decision to offer solid foods to very young children is usually made by pediatricians who are most concerned about the immature digestive tracts of toddlers and preschoolers. It is common for young children to instinctively dislike a large number of food products. The reason kids stick up their noses at a lot of foods is partly based on the appearance of only one kind of food on a plate. They like to pick and snack and use their fingers, so a good idea is to offer several food items on the plate and only offer a few bites of each food at one time.
Kids in their preschool years and older are known to be heavily influenced by viewing types of food on TV. They quickly adapt to food that appears on Billboards or signs like Mickie D. Most parents do not think their children eat enough but the truth is that the child's stomach is not bigger than a good sized lemon!
That is why kids need snacks and three sit-down (no TV) meals a day! Offer as little sugar as possible because sugar increases hunger rapidly and within an hour kids start bugging you to eat candy or something with more sugar. Generally, children under the age of five are too picky to want to try unusual foods, but if you let kids use their fingers and just sample a taste rather than having to eat a whole spoonful, they will do it!
If you really want your child to be a good and healthy eater, it is simple....really! Offer food without making him or her eat very much at a time. Sit with your child and talk to him or her. Have fun eating and talking. It is more social than nutritional for children to want to go to the table and try new foods! Set an example...it works every time.
Now for the fish thing...most fish and shell fish actually do cause some reaction, mostly dislike, headaches, or stomach upset; however many five-to-eight year-olds like fried or baked fish with cheese and bread or rolls more than beef. Hamburger and hot dogs are the exceptions, for sure.
On that same order, avoid giving little and big kids too many foods everyday containing corn syrup. It is hard to find a lot of food that doesn't have it! Even English muffins have corn syrup, for flavor if you can believe it.
Start a cup at the same time you give a bottle at.... are your ready? Eight months...Start finger food at seven or eight months and feed your child using two spoons so she can hold one, while you offer baby food with the other. Two of every utensil makes meals more fun for toddlers and preschoolers and mealtime will be more successful for young children. Always read labels, check with your own physician and have fun at mealtimes. That is what it is really all about with kids.
