Eat healthy

Nutrition is more than a question of nutrients – it is part of the parent-child relationship. Especially during toddlerhood, many parents wish to instill healthy eating habits in their child. But everyday life often presents challenges: What if the child doesn't eat anything green? Or constantly asks for sweets? We spoke with nutritionist Daniel Fahje – about role models, sensible boundaries, and the courage to be calm.

 

You are a nutritionist. Why is healthy eating for children particularly important to you?

Children are growing and have high nutrient needs. Only with a varied diet can all nutrients be absorbed in sufficient quantities. This is important to support the various processes in the body. We still know very little about the possible consequences of suboptimal nutrition in childhood. That's why I think it's very important to leave little to chance here. Of course, every consultation has a positive effect because it helps clients step by step. But with children, this is amplified because many physiological and psychological foundations for adult nutrition are laid at this age. You can thus lay the groundwork for a healthy relationship with food and, with it, for a long life with few health and physical ailments.

 

What should parents know about their children's nutrition?

I think it's very important for parents to generally have an awareness of good nutrition, i.e., a certain nutritional competence. They should know what children need for healthy growth. When shopping, they need to be able to recognize which foods are unfavorable, which contain a lot of sugar, and which products are of higher quality than others. With this, they can create a good offering for their child.

 

But ultimately, the child decides?

That's right. Food preferences are very individual. This is not yet so pronounced in babies. But at the latest in the autonomy phase, many foods are rejected. Children want to decide for themselves, and sometimes they take an opposing stance on principle. Then a role model function is important. As a parent, I can't preach water and drink wine; instead, I have to lead by example, eat healthily myself, and naturally help myself to the healthy snacks.

 

And what else can parents do if their children reject many foods?

They should be patient and persistent and offer foods again and again. It's also important to create experiences. Even very young children can be involved in cooking and shopping. In doing so, they learn: Where does the food on the table actually come from? Shared meals are also a nice social occasion. I always recommend that families eat together at least once a day. However, this is not always feasible.

 

What other experiences are suitable?

It often pays to take a step back and leave the parental perspective. What did we enjoy as children ourselves? What do our children like – even if it might not be the norm for us adults? Arranging food playfully and colorfully is a first step. Also great: a picnic, perhaps even in the living room. A friend of mine sticks colorful stickers on the outside of packages to give the food a special touch, and the children eat the contents with great enthusiasm. Completely out of the box: just do without plates. Instead, put cling film on the table and eat directly from the table.

 

And what if children still reject "good" foods and would prefer to live only on pasta and ice cream?

First of all, I generally advise against categorizing foods into "good" and "bad." Foods should not be classified into categories. Older children can be well explained why it is important for the body to get fruit and vegetables, for example. With very young children, this is not yet possible, of course. Here, as I said, it is important for parents to lead by example. Because children learn a lot through observation. Parents are the most important caregivers and, through their own behavior alone, simply have a huge influence on their children's behavior. Boundaries are also important: there's no ice cream for breakfast, and not just chocolate all afternoon. If parents are really very concerned about nutrition, a consultation with a nutrition professional is worthwhile.

 

So with nutritionists? Is a blood test also useful for possible deficiencies, and is it worth talking to the pediatrician?

Pediatricians are not always the best point of contact for this topic. Nutrition professionals are often specialized and have significantly more time for a detailed and individual consultation. I also recommend this before a blood test, because often it is only through the consultation that it becomes clear whether and what should be tested at all. Often, parents are very sure that some form of malnutrition must be present, but this is not the case. Parents often don't trust their children's satiety signals.

 

What do you mean by that?

Sometimes it's good for parents to hold back. If the child says they are full, we should accept that first. Children have a natural sense of satiety and usually know well what they need. In good weather, children are outside and move around an incredible amount. In bad weather, however, all activities take place at home. Children eat according to their needs, and this varies considerably due to their changing daily routine. This is a significant difference from the standardized daily routine of adults. Sometimes they have cravings for certain foods because they obviously strongly need the ingredients. If the diet is very one-sided for a longer period, dietary supplements can also be useful, even preventively. But parents should ideally only decide this in consultation with a specialist.

 

Where can parents find good information about nutrition?

In the first year, parents can get basic information from official websites. At this age, nutrition is usually not that complicated: the dos and don'ts are well organized on free pediatric sites. However, what I advise against is social media as the sole source of information. We know it ourselves: on social media, it's about clicks and likes. And I get those with exaggerated and polarizing content. That's why you should take the content there with a grain of salt. If parents later encounter problems with nutrition, for example due to intolerances or because the child is very one-sided in their eating, they should contact a nutrition professional and either take advantage of group coaching or 1:1 coaching.

 

Suppose parents already have a good understanding of nutrition and implement it well at home. In their environment, for example with grandparents or in daycare, this is seen very differently, and there might be a lot of sweets. How can parents deal with this?

I'm always in favor of parents standing up for their principles and accepting the consequences, even if it might be uncomfortable. This applies especially to a consistent social environment – if there's a lollipop during a vacation meal, you don't need to get into an argument. But with grandparents or neighbors, for example, you should take a stand and seek conversation. That's always better than saying nothing, just to avoid being awkward, or isolating the child so that these situations no longer arise.

 

So, solid knowledge and their role model function are particularly important for parents?

Exactly. This makes it easier for them to create the right framework and also to set boundaries. Above all, however, they should not forget to approach their child empathetically. Toddlers are small personalities whose character is developing. And here, parents should also provide good guidance when it comes to nutrition.

 

You can find even more scientifically sound information on early childhood development from 0-3 years, over 650 activities, and much more in the mo:mo app.