We all know and hear about what we SHOULD feed our young children, but parents everywhere know the struggle. The true story about what kids are really eating may surprise you. One landmark study soon to be published in the Journal of Nutrition now finds that more than one quarter of toddlers and preschoolers do not eat a single vegetable serving on a given day and of those who do, French fries are the most common. ü One in five infants’ diets are falling short on iron: instrumental for brain development and learning ü Three out of four toddlers and preschoolers consume too much sodium: putting them at risk for developing high blood pressure and heart disease later in life[1] ü Fewer than 25{5e0bea7df62a42e70f4e6662baa016b718b42e41c3f575af4c98dbb1e2d44a4e} of kids 0 to 48 months old get the recommended amount of vitamin D in their diet: needed for bone growth and development So what’s a parent to do? Don’t give up! It may take up to 10 tries for a new food to be accepted so keep offering those veggies[3]. Feed your babies a variety like pureed or mashed peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and green beans. For toddlers, try finger foods as snacks to spark some kid-friendly creativity including red/green pepper slices, join pediatrician Ryan Carvalho, Vice President, Medical and Scientific Affairs at Gerber and Dr. Regan Bailey, Associate Professor at Purdue University for an eye-opening look at infant and toddler nutrition in this country, and solutions to help your child eat healthy and set the foundation for a healthy future.
