Ensuring not only that babies eat well while they are small, but also that they end up becoming adults with good eating habits, is a priority for most families, taking into account that poor nutrition is linked to numerous diseases. According to a study published in the journal The Lancet, unhealthy diets are, today, responsible for more deaths on a global scale than tobacco. Research indicates that up to 11 million people died in 2017 due to unbalanced diets, while tobacco caused 8 million deaths. Against this background, the interest of families in instilling good eating habits from the cradle is increasing, despite the fact that they often encounter the refusal of babies and children to consume certain foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
The first rule to instill good habits is probably the most important: lead by example. It is explained by Sonia García-Ribera, dietitian-nutritionist at the Endocrinology and Nutrition Service of the Hospital del Mar, in Barcelona, specialist in pediatric nutrition. "It is essential that families offer a variety of foods and that parents also consume them. This should be the case from birth, since when children are small is precisely when they are most receptive to trying new things," she explains. . This does not always happen, since some families rely on school cafeterias to offer healthy food and tend to be more lax at home, often due to lack of time. According to Dr. Alberto Vicente, from the Pediatrics service at Hospital del Mar, "there are families who consider that the portion of fruit and vegetables offered in the school cafeteria is already sufficient, so that at home there may not be any vegetables or fresh products. It is a mistake, since nutrition should be educated from home."
However, many families regret that despite eating a healthy and varied diet, the little ones in the house refuse to consume fresh products such as fruits, vegetables and fish and prefer ultra-processed and other less healthy options. It is not surprising, explains doctor and nutritionist Nuria Monfulleda, from the Loveyouself center in Barcelona. "Ultra-processed foods are a temptation for children and adults. They are designed to be extraordinarily palatable and very addictive, thanks to the presence of fats, sugars and refined flours." It is common, therefore, for this type of food, which also contains very attractive packaging, to attract the attention of minors.
"Not sleeping and not eating, or eating poorly, are the two things that worry families the most," says Vicente, "and although there is probably no magic rule, it is recommended that parents set limits and not let children dictate what they want." you eat at home." García-Ribera, for his part, points out that although parents should be the ones to design the meals, they should not decide how much or at what rate it is consumed. "There is no specific amount for a baby or child to be healthy, and we adults often want them to eat more than they need," he explains. Therefore, guidelines and limits must be established, but always letting the child decide the amount of food he needs, without ever forcing him to eat. Vicente agrees: "You should not force eating, as it can lead to future aversion, but you should set limits. We must not forget that parents are the ones who instill and that children learn by imitation."
García-Ribera believes that having a certain degree of flexibility can help children eat better, which involves "being able to adapt certain recipes and dishes to make them more attractive." This means, for example, that instead of boiled spinach, you can prepare a lasagna with cheese and bechamel, as well as some cannelloni, or transcend the classic vegetable with potatoes to prepare it sautéed and accompanied by pasta or rice.
There are some currents, however, that rely on other methods when teaching babies and children to eat. One of them is the one led by pediatrician Carlos González, who in his book My Child Doesn't Eat Me advocates, broadly speaking, that children themselves be the ones who decide what to eat and how much. According to González, families must offer a sufficient amount of food, varied and balanced, and allow babies and children to instinctively choose the ones they most want. The pediatrician points out that "in no case can healthy eating behavior be encouraged by forcing children to eat what they don't like, since adults don't do it either."
Therefore, González is blunt in this sense: if a child does not want to eat fruit and vegetables, you should not insist that he do so. In fact, as he explains in his book, this rejection has a biological explanation, since children tend to instinctively reject low-calorie foods, without proteins or fats, such as vegetables and to a lesser extent fruit. This is because they have a very small stomach, so if they fill it with foods with a small caloric content, they get full quickly and there is no room for those that do provide them with energy, which are the ones they prefer: macaroni, rice , breaded chicken, etc. "This stops happening when we are adults," concludes the doctor, so that rejection of these foods is not only normal, but should not be worrying.
In the antipodes of Carlos González is Dr. Eduard Estivill, who in his book Let's eat! establishes a series of guidelines for teaching babies over six months to eat. Estivill's philosophy is not far from his popular method of sleeping and is also committed to establishing strict routines for meals. In the event that the child rejects any dish, the specialist recommends not paying attention to him (literally: "ignoring him") or offering him other alternatives and, if necessary, leaving him without eating until the next meal without offering anything other than water (not juices either). or soft drinks).
There are many professionals, however, who tend to straddle both currents and advocate that there be some limits on the part of families but also a certain flexibility. For Vicente, it is essential to create a climate that invites you to eat calmly, preferably as a family, without screens and with the presence of varied and appetizing foods. "Whenever possible, the ideal is to eat together, because it is the best way for children to have the best example right in front of them."
The doctor insists that parental intervention is necessary, since if children are left to self-regulate, they can end up having gastrointestinal problems that are sometimes solved simply by introducing changes in their diet. "Many consultations for weight stagnation or persistent abdominal pain are due to an incorrect diet, which is relatively easy to fall into if families are not attentive. If a child eats sugary cereals or cookies for breakfast, then has a sandwich of sandwich bread, eats pasta , have another sandwich and a juice, end the day having consumed an excess of carbohydrates and sugars. We must not forget that those who buy are the parents, so the first thing is not to have available a series of foods that are not healthy." .
García-Ribera agrees, and assures that it is important to instill that ultra-processed foods are for occasional consumption: "If from the beginning children understand that extras are extras and that they should not be consumed daily, they will internalize it without a problem." For Vicente, it is not always easy to instill these habits taking into account the powerful marketing of the ultra-processed industry. "In many schools, even in hospitals, there are machines where you can get ultra-processed foods at very affordable prices. Many children see it as a good alternative to a sandwich. It is something that has to change," says the doctor.
For her part, García-Ribera encourages families with babies to practice the BLM (Baby Led Weaning) method, which has become popular in recent times and consists of offering solid foods, never crushed, from six months at a time. that breastfeeding continues. "The option of offering solid foods appropriate to the age and condition of the child has multiple advantages, since in the long run they will not have obsessions with textures and they also learn to recognize foods from a young age. In the case of purees, since they are crushed , children don't know what they have inside," he says. Vicente agrees, although with nuances: "BLM may be suitable for some babies, but not for all. It can only be practiced if they are prepared and also if there is training on the part of the families, since there are foods that are not suitable for offer in solid format. There may be success stories, but it is not about demonizing porridge either," he says.
In any case, what usually happens when adolescence arrives is that there is a setback and a tendency to abuse fast food and ultra-processed foods. "It is normal that in adolescence there is a change in behavior not only in terms of nutrition, but in other areas. It is a delicate time, since families can no longer control their children but they must seek strategies to be pending their relationship with food. We must not ignore it, since this is the time when most eating disorders usually begin," concludes García-Ribera.
