15 TIPS FROM A FOOD EXPERT TO MAKE CHILDREN EAT HEALTHIER

Dr. Odile Fernández She is a family doctor, mother of three children and a reference in our country in terms of nutrition and healthy living.

She is the author of best sellers such as My Anticancer Recipes, written after overcoming ovarian cancer, and author of a blog with the same name, which receives thousands of daily visits.

We interviewed her on the occasion of the publication of her latest book "My son eats healthy", a complete manual of infant feeding. We have asked you to give us its 15 keys for children to eat healthier, from pregnancy to adolescence.

1. Start offering healthy food as soon as possible

This way they will get used sooner and faster and create the habit naturally.

And the sooner it means from pregnancy, because when the baby is born it will already have its taste buds accustomed from the womb.

2. Minimum breastfeeding for six months

In addition to the healthy benefits of breast milk, for a similar reason as above: when the mother breastfeeds her child, the baby is in contact with the taste of the food she eats, and becomes familiar with them.

3. Lead by example

As a father and mother we are the mirror in which our children look, so that the whole family (older siblings, grandparents) should eat healthy if we want the child to also eat healthy from baby.

How are we going to claim that he doesn't drink soda (for example) if we take them in front of him?

4. Don't buy what we don't want you to eat

It is common sense. If you do not want to eat sweets or pizza for example, do not take them from the supermarket. The first rule to avoid healthy foods is not to have them at home, because if they are we cannot deny them. It would be counterproductive.

5. Take them to make the purchase

Especially to the market, so that they see the stalls of fruits and vegetables and become familiar with fresh and healthy foods.

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However, they better not accompany us to the supermarket, because less healthy foods are accessible and within reach, and it is very difficult to ban them.

6. Get carried away by creativity

Few children like vegetables as is, but they will accept them better if we present them in an original way. For example, maybe your child rejects cooked cauliflower but may accept it if you prepare it in an omelet, in the form of cream ... It is about experimenting in the kitchen.

7. Perform different celebrations

You can take advantage of birthdays or family gatherings to offer healthier foods as an alternative to sweets and sodas. Try the fruit skewers with dark chocolate on top. Children love them!

8. Involve children in the kitchen

Encourage them to manipulate food, to cook with us, they love it and they find it easier to try new flavors and introduce them in their diet, because they feel proud to have collaborated in the preparation of the dish and therefore it is great.

9. No prizes and punishments

Getting them to eat by promising or forbidding them something is a big mistake. That's why nothing of the type talks: "If you eat this, I give you some custard for dessert" or if "You don't finish your plate, you run out of cinema".

We must promote a healthy relationship with food, based on respect, affection and patience. We have to understand that some children eat more and others less.

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10. Eat all together without distractions

We talk about turning off mobiles, tablets and television. The mealtime should be a moment and harmony, to share with everyone. This way we will make our children relate the food with a pleasant time with their parents.

11. Practice Baby Lead Weaning

When it comes to introducing complementary feeding, it is good that children can choose from a greater variety of foods and control their satiety to avoid obesity problems.

At first it is a little scary that you can choke or not eat enough, but it is not so and we will be making our children have a healthy relationship with food.

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12. Teach them to distinguish healthy children's foods

We can take advantage of the day they have to accompany us to make the weekly purchase so that they learn which children's foods are healthy and which are not.

A practice that is also useful for adults: we can think that a food is healthy and, when reading the label we discover that it is not so much, especially if it includes ingredients such as palm oil or a high sugar content.

Keep in mind that a child under 12 cannot eat more than 17 g of sugar a day, and most foods include unhealthy added sugars.

It is also advisable to avoid additives that contain many sausages and that may become carcinogenic and dyes (better replace them with turmeric).

13. Small portions

We tend to offer more food than they really need and obesity increases in parallel to the size of the portions. So in a place of a plate to overflow it is better to offer a little and, if you are hungry, throw a little more.

To give you an idea, the ration of a child between one and three years must be a quarter than that of an adult.

14. Foods to control

Avoid salt
Replace the dyes with aromatic spices that have anti-inflammatory power and help prevent cancer.
Legumes: you have to take them three times a week, but accompanied by vegetables.
A maximum dairy per day, and better if it is a yogurt without sugar or cheese.
A daily egg
Fish: 2-3 times a week avoiding large species in children under three years.
Meat: once or twice a week and better if it is chicken or turkey from organic farms.
Stiff. No more once every 15 days.
Ice cream, very occasionally.

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15. The healthiest children's dish

According to the Harvard University Public School, half of the dish should consist of fruit and vegetables and the other half of whole grains (25%) and healthy fats and proteins (another 25%).

Vegetables. All except the potato, for its negative impact on blood sugar levels (especially fried).
Fruits. Fresh and seasonal and the more colorful, the better. Limit juices to a small one a day.
Whole grains Try to avoid the so-called whites and opt for rice and whole wheat, quinoa, pasta and whole wheat bread, oatmeal ...
Healthy proteins. In addition to vegetables, you can choose fish, white meat (such as chicken and turkey) and egg. Limit red beef, beef, pork and lamb.
Fat You will find healthy fats in fish, avocado, nuts, seeds and extra virgin olive oil.
Dairy products. Limit one or two dairy per day, better natural, kefy and cheese.
Water. It is the best drink we can consume. Discard sugary drinks, soda and limit juices.

And remember, Dr. Odile Fernández explains, that for the child to follow a healthy diet, "must practice".

By the way! He has confessed that he was looking forward to collaborating on Babies and More, a website that he loves and reads daily. Another good reason to worship her!

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