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There are so many things you need to think about when you give your baby his first real meal. His digestive system isn’t as well-developed as yours, and sometimes, he won’t react well to the food you give him. Basically, stay away from foods that are tough, too sweet, or too salty. Talk to your doctor as well because he would know more about how your child can handle it.

You may immediately assume that you must avoid adding fat to his diet at all cost. The truth behind this belief is this: people need fat in their diet. Fat and oils, even if they’re not a food group, are found at a small proportion in the food pyramid. The statement about fatty foods needs to be classified. When you’re choosing the food to give your baby, examine the fat content first because there are some oils that can actually help them grow and develop. Unsaturated fats, in particular, are considered healthy when given at the right amounts. These can be found in fish oil, canola oil, and olive oil. On the other hand, trans fat is otherwise known as the unhealthy kind of fat should be given minimally or none at all.

There are also those who believe that bottled baby food makes for a picky eater. There are plenty of reasons why a child grows up to be extremely choosy with what he eats. Each person is different, and some factors to consider when it comes to introducing your little one to food are the environment he is in, family history, and yes, basic personality. Your own food choices also affect his tastes. If you are too meticulous about what you serve, don’t be surprised to find that he may be as particular as you are. What’s most important is to make feeding time a more fun experience, whether you serve bottled or homemade meals. Your baby may look for certain flavors and when he does get to like something, he may not be satisfied with just one bottle. This is when meals should be more than enjoyable because you also have to consider the size of the proportion you give him.

Commercial foods are also not necessarily safer than homemade baby food just because it’s been processed and sterilized. It is true that something store-bought has gone through rigorous quality control, but this does not immediately guarantee 100% safety. Food prepared at home can also pose the same kind of threat and may spoil easily because preservatives haven’t been added to it. When it comes to baby food, you’re safest when you use the freshest ingredients, follow strict preparations, and always make sure that your hands are clean.

Moreover, chocolates aren’t as bad as they seem though they do contain some allergenic components. It’s best to delay this and give it to home as soon as he is able to handle sensitizing. Also, parents immediately assume that chocolates cause sore throat and upset stomach. These ideas are false and what you really need to avoid is simply giving a large serving of it. When it comes to sweets, keep it at a minimum.

Getting children to eat healthy on a daily basis can be a challenge worthy enough to get its own show. Some of your biggest troubles may include getting them to sit still at mealtime, serving foods they truly enjoy, and keeping their hands away from the snacks cabinet.

For a great meal makeover, set a good example. Start with breakfast, and though you may not be too big on this certain meal, you should at least sit with them while they eat. If you’re too busy, ask your partner to take over the shift. The parents are the biggest influence on what their children eat, so healthier choices may seem more appealing if you eat them as well. Add more protein and fiber to their first meal so they’ll feel fuller longer. Cut back on fat, and switch to skim milk once they’re older.

As lunch time rolls along, a lot of parents choose to stuff their kids until they’re too full to move around. They feel as if their kids sleep more when they’ve filled their tummies to the brim. It’s actually quite easy to get stuck in a lunch rut. To get out of this, offer new healthy and nutritious items regularly. Try to choose those that have more vegetables in them. Start the grill because foods cooked this way are so much better. Young children also love to play chef. Let them create their own healthy feasts so that they are more excited to eat it afterwards. Just remember, they won’t eat well if they’re constantly surrounded by tempting treats.

After their nap, they often feel hungry. If there’s no official snack found anywhere, they end up grazing. They may even demand for different varieties of food, you could eventually end up dizzy trying to keep up with the demands. Offer a choice between two healthy options that fill the nutrient gap they had from the earlier meals. Create rules at all times. While they love to eat junk, you have to also know when to draw the line. Offer one treat per day so that they don’t end up binging on it when you’re not around. You also have to satisfy their cravings for them to know that there’s always time for everything. Downsize the snack cabinet because they wouldn’t miss the treats as much if they were gone. Stash just a few items and keep the healthier choices within their reach. If they see that they won’t have much choice for anything else, they’ll learn to enjoy what is available.

For dinner, keep meals as healthy as possible as well. You wouldn’t want them to sleep on a full stomach, but then, you also don’t want them to go to bed hungry. The point is, you need to think beyond the menu. Sneak in the veggies and show them that you’re enjoying your share as well. Children are more likely to eat what you ask them to when they’re hungry. Take this as a good time to offer the salads and greens. Cut back on the juice and soda. Instead, this is a good time to drink milk and lots of water.

You want your child to grow up as healthy as possible. To do this, no other milk is better than your own. Nature has a way of caring for its creatures, and babies get the necessary nutrients they need from the mother. While you can, you pump their meals just in case you aren’t at home. Just know that you know the things you need to do when you pump, store, and use breast milk.

Before you pump, always wash your hands first. Most new breast pumps sold in the market come with BPA-free plastic bottles and liners that you use to collect the milk. Prepare two- to four-ounce portions in case your baby needs a bit more. If you store too much of it, these may be too much to take. Remember, you also need to think about their diet early on. When you store and restore the big milk containers, chances are they’re going to curdle a lot earlier.

Label and date the containers of milk. Also be sure to refrigerate them within eight hours upon pumping. If you’re out of the house, you can keep the milk in an insulated milk storage bag that comes with a frozen gel pack. These can keep milk fresh for 24 hours. It is imperative that you get the bag when you need to leave the house often. In case you get stuck somewhere, at least you know that you have something that keeps your milk fresh even while you’re on the road. But when you pump and refrigerate it at home, transfer the milk to glass bottles. BPA-free plastic will also do, but just make sure discard bottles that get scratched inside. Freeze milk that you aren’t planning to use within five days and keep it frozen in any regular freezer for three months. More than that, you need to throw it away. While some parents try to push its shelf life for a few more days, your baby is still safest when you follow the date specifically.

When thawing the milk from the freezer and serving it for your baby during mealtimes, gently shake the frozen bag under warm, running water. It takes around three minutes to thaw three ounces of it. This is when small portions come in handy because you won’t have to stay long just to remove the ice. Furthermore, never microwave the milk to speed up the process. The radiation is not safe for your little one. When they are this young, you need to go for the natural as much as possible. Microwaving milk creates hot spots and breaks down protective antibody proteins. If, however, you don’t need it right at that very moment, you can thaw it in the fridge. If the product still looks lumpy, all you need to do is shake the bad to mix in the separated fat.

Do what you can to make your child’s milk safe. It may require a bit of work, but all your efforts will definitely pay off big time in the end.

Parents say that babies need to eat rice first. Then, some claim that nothing is better than potatoes. With conflicting opinions on what and how your baby’s first meal should be, feeding time becomes a challenge for any parent who’s new at everything. There are myths you need to know about so that mealtime becomes a lot easier to handle. Here are just a few that you should know about:

Myth 1: When you first introduce food to your baby, the order to follow is rice, fruits, vegetables, and last would be meat. There is truth to this statement. The order of this meal is based on the food pyramid. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, the pyramid simply states how much of a certain food group should be given. It serves as a guide for you if you are giving all the food groups at the right amount. Rice and cereals are usually served first because they are easy to manipulate. You can adjust the consistency to make it very thick like porridge or very thin like soup. So whether combined with soup or broth, rice does make for an ideal first meal. Mashed foods are next on the list, and you may start with either fruits or vegetables. These must be almost liquid so that you avoid choking. This also ensures easy digestion. Meats are extremely tough to mash, and are therefore always given last. This is served when the baby has teeth strong enough to cut and chew.

Myth 2: It’s never a good idea to give your child spicy food. Bland food is still better. Fact is, race and culture figure greatly in a child’s ability to tolerate spice. The genetic makeup allows the taste buds to either be very sensitive or extremely numb. When culture plays a vital role, there are many things you simply cannot avoid. When seasoning the food, consider how much salt or sugar you should add. Excessively sweet meals could lead to obesity in the future. It is also not advised to heavily salt the food because his kidneys cannot tolerate that high amount just yet.

Myth 3: If there is a strong family history of allergies against a particular type of food, you must never feed this to your baby. The truth is, allergies are developed mainly after repeated exposure to a certain substance or food. Just because people in your family cannot take strawberries doesn’t mean you can’t let your child eat them. Allergies aren’t inherited. When you introduce a type of food, stick to eat for a maximum of four days. That’s when you really can tell if your baby is allergic to it or not. It’s all a matter of timing when it comes to food with high allergenic contents. Consult a specialist and get a recommendation. Try not to sensitize your baby too early and introduce these foods only when your little one has reached his first year. Oatmeal and corn are the safest bet when you feed your baby his first real food. If you’re not sure what to get, there are books that give you the best advice.

Choosing a medication for your child can be confusing. What’s the difference between a generic and a name brand? How do you calculate dosage? What are the ingredients? How do you get your child to take the medicine?

Like many parents, you immediately want to equip yourself with the right knowledge when your child gets sick. But the information that you’ll find may be difficult to sort out, and the credibility of the source might be questionable. Also, you may not realize that pharmacists can do more than just fill prescriptions, they can offer great advice as well. Even when they’re busy, they do take time to help you select the most appropriate product. Moreover, it’s a good idea to build a specific relationship with them because now you have somebody who knows more than you do. Plus, you can also ask your pharmacist to call your doctor if you don’t understand how to use a prescribed medicine.

From your end, you shouldn’t run to the store unprepared. The people behind the counter need the crucial information to come up with the correct dosage. First of all, you need to know your child’s weight and age. If your baby isn’t big enough to stand on a scale unsupported, stand with them and just subtract your weight from the total. You also have to know your child’s temperature so that the pharmacist will know how long he’s had the fever. If your child is taking any other form of medication, know the name and the dosage. This is very crucial because some medicines don’t react well when combined with the others.

You may as well have to face it: no matter how much you beg, making them take the medicine is easier said than done. You can mask the taste if they find it too bitter. If you’re going to mix it with another drink such as juice, don’t add too much liquid because they will be required to finish the whole thing. Talk to the specialist if you are thinking about mixing it with a dairy product. This may affect its absorption. Or, you can also opt to mix it with soft food. Use a sweet beverage as chaser so that if they feel as if they can take something they’re usually not allowed to have, they may not be as resistant.

Some pharmacists are actually able to add flavor to the medicine. If your child is also given the chance to choose, they may feel more in control. Moreover, medicine tastes better when chilled. Just store it in your fridge and take it out right before you give it to them. With everything, it is your job to make sure that the tools you’re using are age-appropriate. Syringes and oral droppers are better for babies. Open your mind to other strategies. There is a way to make your child swallow their medicine. There are suppositories available as well. Whatever it is, you just have to find the right mix for your child. It may take time, but you will definitely find the perfect strategy in the end. Patience plays a big role here.