The snack time becomes something like a struggle between parents and children to see 'who is right': parents insisting that the children run out of sandwiches ... children who do not fit even one more bite, or do not feel like it, you know!
I say 'go to know', because if we don't ask the little one what he likes in the bread; or better yet, if we are not interested in what you would like to snack, we miss a very useful information about the needs of our children. And I am not saying that they decide what to buy at home, which seems that for some time they have been warning that it is the children who fill the car with their whims - and this is a separate issue, besides that not quite true -. I am saying that forcing food to end, it can have consequences that at least can be described as unexpected.
When we talked about inappropriate practices in terms of infant feeding, we already mentioned that if we force a child to eat everything we put, at least we are inhibiting its natural ability to realize 'when the stomach is full', and this seems dangerous to me.
But if we go into detail in some of the 'tricks' that parents use at snack time (and also during other meals), and observe them from a distance, they will surely give us some thought.
To forcefully introduce a piece of sandwich in the mouth, threaten that he will not be able to play if it does not end, give them a shout in front of everyone (or even without anyone around) ... would we not like to be done to U.S?
There will be someone who says: 'well, I am responsible for feeding my children, and I am not discussed.' No Yes it is not our intention to discuss anyone, but it would be good to know that thinking about children, it is not healthy to vomit because they have forced you, to end up rejecting a food (talking about fish, we already commented), that mealtime becomes the time of suffering , etc. And above all, it is good to know that many children in the end end up eating what they can or want, despite all the strategies used, that is, why not avoid all a bad drink?
Speaking of responsibilities, it is true that we are the maximum responsibilities of nutrition in the family, but on this issue we should ensure that children have a healthy and balanced diet. An example: that we do not force to eat, does not mean that instead, we allow food with excess fats, sugars or salt ... 'so that the child eats something'.
More than anything, because in this way we subtract chances of getting used to the most natural, basic and healthy foods
The sandwich-shaped solution?
It is best that we have the opportunity to vary the daily snack so that they do not get bored, and this can be done without having to give in to whims or spend more on food. One day snack, another fruit, the next nuts (if they are whole, better wait until they are more than six years old), one more cereal pancakes, a piece of cheese, a yogurt, ...
The snack is an important meal, so far, but it should not replace any of the main ones, but rather be complementary in a matter of nutrients. For example if for breakfast they have eaten toast, to eat legumes and salad, for dinner there is chicken ... we will have to make room for the fruit at the time of snack, because there is a lack of reinforcement in the form of vitamins.
And sometimes we think they don't snack if it's not snack-based, But there are children who do not accept them! I have one like that at home myself: the sandwich or in paint, but it takes fruit in almost every meal of the day. How am I going to force him to put a piece of ham between two halves of bread, which makes it difficult for other mothers to have their children eat fruits?
Because the sandwich is easy to prepare, convenient to carry, and apparently simple to eat, whenever you like, but we have already said that it is not the only option
And in the case of preparing them for the excursion, so they take up little space in the backpack, let's first make sure that the children will want, after they accept the filling, and finally (as a good friend of mine says) we adapt the amount. 'I do want the sandwich to be eaten, I put a small one on it'.
Because the stomach of children has a limited capacity, and sometimes we are not aware. And because we have to get over our childhood experiences, discarding the idea that children challenge us when they don't eat, and that they are not well fed if they do not finish everything.
The best guide we have is children, let's trust them; that way everything will be easier and they will do it with us.
Images | Lisa Dusseault, Eric Lewis In Peques and More | 'It makes me a ball', a different approach to infant feeding. Julio Basulto's new book, do superheroes eat healthy foods?
