Useful Tips When Making Child's Meals

Ready-made meals are very convenient. Just choose a packet from the grocery aisle, put in the cart and pay before leaving. Super fast and convenient! Plus, it reduces the amount of chore that you need to do when you get home. It is an easy way to get things done for parents who are working or too tired to make meals for the kids. But did you know that ready-made meals, even those made for kids, contain a lot of sugar?

A number of recent studies show that babies who were given ready-made meals tend to be fussy eaters when they become toddlers. Scientists also discovered that the some diseases we have when we become adults like obesity; are traced back to the nutrition we received when we were infants.

I am not saying that we should NEVER give our children ready-made meals. We could be in a situation that ready-made meals are the only choice that we have. However, new parents should not think that ready-made meals are healthy. They are not. And the frequency that we give these to our children should be very limited. Ready-made meals should only be given to children when we are outside or if we are on-the-go. When kids are at home, homemade meals should be the number one choice.

When making meals for your kids, especially babies, here are some useful tips:

• Do not cook for a single serving only. Cook in batches and freeze.
• Do not add salt especially if your child is under 12 months old. Their tiny bodies only need a very little amount that they can easily get from breast milk or formula.
• Buy small containers to put your child’s meals. This is extremely helpful when feeding babies.
• Do not think that you need to be a professional chef to cook for the baby. Babies do not have a clue what delicious food is. Parents and people that feed the child influence the baby’s palate.
• Do not be afraid to mix-and-match vegetables and fruits to make your child’s meals.
• Introduce your baby to natural food such as fruits and vegetables first. Avoid ready-made rice cereal or artificially flavored cereals as first food for the baby. These do not have any guaranteed health benefits to your baby.
•  Do not be afraid not to follow what your mom said. This is a tricky one especially if you still live with your parents or they live nearby. The generation that they lived in received a different advice in weaning the baby and recent studies oppose what they know of. Explain that there are recent studies that back up what you are doing and show her the article, if possible.