Do you want your baby to go gaga for vegetables? Start well.
For the first time, experts reporting to the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture have included counseling as part of a twice-a-decade study of how diet of people affects long-term health, and they are offering new information on feeding babies from birth to 2 years of age.
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And that old adage “Food before 1 is just for fun” no longer applies.
The report confirmed that a healthy diet during life stages from birth to 24 months and during pregnancy and lactation “is essential to support healthy growth and development during infancy and childhood, adolescence and adulthood “
Do you want your baby to go gaga for vegetables? Start well
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He argued that the first 1,000 days of life “not only contribute to long-term health but also help shape taste preferences and food choices.” Not only that, the committee said: “Nutritional exposures in early life have emerged as an etiologic risk factor associated with the risk of chronic disease in adulthood.”
Here are six of the key points outlined by the 2020 Diet Guidelines Advisory Committee regarding the eating habits of young children and pregnant women:
Absolutely no added sugar for babies
“Babies should avoid foods and drinks with added sugar for the first two years of life,” the committee stated. “The energy in such products is likely to displace the energy in nutrient-rich foods, increasing the risk of nutrient insufficiency.” Experts made the link between consuming sugary processed beverages and being overweight or obese. They said nearly 70 percent of added sugars come from products like sweetened beverages, desserts, sweet snacks, and cereal and breakfast bars.
Breast milk is better
“The strongest evidence found was that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of overweight or obesity, type 1 diabetes and asthma compared to never being breastfed,” the committee concluded. Members found that rapid weight gain was more likely among formula-fed infants than their mother-fed infants, possibly due to increased formula protein intake or caregiver overfeeding so as not to “waste” food.
No solids for babies before 4 months of age.
Research showed that starting a baby’s first meals before the four-month threshold is associated with an increased risk of obesity between the ages of 2 and 12. The problem was especially true for formula-fed babies who might not be able to regulate your feelings. of “fullness”, as well as the breastfed.
Introduce peanuts and eggs early to reduce allergies.
The committee found that feeding peanuts and eggs “in an age-appropriate manner” after 4 months of age could reduce the risk of food allergy. He said the evidence was not as strong for other allergens like nuts and shellfish. There was also no harm in introducing such potentially allergic foods at this stage.
Give vitamin D and pay attention to iron and zinc.
Since breast milk does not contain enough vitamin D, the committee recommended that fully and partially breastfed babies be supplemented with 400 IU of the vitamin from birth until they are weaned. More vitamin D than that dose is unnecessary. Experts also recommended that parents of breastfed babies give them foods like iron-rich and zinc-rich meats for the second six months of their lives, or fortify them with iron-fortified foods, such as baby cereal. The polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish, fish oil, vegetable oil, nuts, and seeds also play an important role in brain development.
What women eat during conception and pregnancy is important
The report warned that “the risk of chronic disease begins early in life, with significant consequences for the health of the fetus based on the mother’s dietary intake and subsequent feeding behaviors in infancy and early childhood.” One of the solutions for pregnant women and babies is to eat fish (at least 8 to 12 ounces per week) or shellfish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in methylmercury, such as crab, oysters, salmon, scallops, shrimp , squid and tilapia Research showed that it can boost children’s cognitive development, as well as language and communication.
