Crimeans called the main mistakes of parents in feeding children

Using dessert as a reward and food as a tool of manipulation is a poor approach to feeding a baby. This was reported by expert on nutrition and health of children Elena Milaeva, reports NEWS.ru.

She advises to minimize foods with excess sugar and carefully read the composition, so as not to become hostage to the sweet taste. According to her, parents often sweeten cereals, compotes or pastries in an attempt to feed the child.

The rule “first the main dish, then the dessert” fixes the harmful attitude: sweet becomes a reward, and food – a tool of manipulation. That approach needs to change.

Many foods that seem like a healthy snack contain hidden sugar. Packaged juices and fruit spiders are essentially a fiber-free fructose concentrate. They cause a sharp jump in glucose and form an addiction to the sweet taste.

If there is too much sweet in the diet, a regular buckwheat or a fresh apple may seem bland to the child. This leads to vagaries at the table, selectivity in food and increases the risk of gaining excess weight in the future.

In order not to become dependent on sweet taste, Milaeva advises to read the composition. The closer sugar (as well as fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin, molasses, syrups, juice concentrate) is to the top of the ingredient list, the more it is in the product.

It is better to give preference to whole foods, offer children homemade compotes without sugar or water with lemon instead of juices. Natural yogurt and cottage cheese will replace options with sweeteners and flavors, and nuts or homemade pastries will become an alternative to bars and sweets.