We must give priority and importance above all else to how our children, the lights of our future, are fed and should be fed. We must not forget that nutrition is the fundamental element that ensures healthy development and future success. You need to instill healthy eating habits by observing their growth and development. Here, instead of personalizing the child with the sentences '...he doesn't eat', families should take a patient approach by setting an example with what they eat. What we call nutrition begins in the family, just like education. How you eat from pregnancy to the age of 0-18 is how your child is fed. First of all, the main nutritional problems seen in preschool children (1-5 years old); These include loss of appetite, picky eating, overeating, food allergies, tooth decay, and reactions to disliked foods. Nutrition is constantly changing at this age, we need to take his health condition as a criterion. Since you have a healthy breakfast, you need to be careful not to consume sugary foods, fruit juice and snacks frequently. If you give him empty energy sources just to eat something before he can get to the food he needs to eat, he will never get used to eating them. You don't need to insist, as long as you don't give it any other food, it will get hungry and come on its own. Giving him food to eat in front of the TV, computer or phone will cause him not to understand what and how much he is eating, and will not develop a sense of taste. Even fruit time should be at the table facing each other. This detail also applies to children who overeat. At the same time, obesity is more common in children whose parents have weight problems. Any energy source that you cause to be consumed more than it needs will be stored as fat. Fat cells that increase at a young age cause obesity and bring many health problems. The 'chocolate' that you count as a reward for him does not mean a reward but rather a problem. Offering rewards and punishments is not the right way. Your right path should be to eat healthy with patience. We are not saying never give chocolate, chocolate should be a food that is rarely consumed at the right time, and vegetables and fruits should be a food that is consumed every day. As he gets to know their taste, foods he doesn't want to consume may emerge. You should try these not by forcing them, but through games, decorating the plate, and with their favorite foods. If he/she continues to reject essential foods, you should definitely give him/her by hiding them in a way that he/she will not be able to pick them out. Only rice, pasta, meatballs etc. Eating means getting used to eating only one type of food. A constant carbohydrate diet causes loss of appetite; Carbohydrates, protein and fat need to be balanced. The logo of us dietitians is the four-leaf clover; There must be four food groups; dairy group (milk, buttermilk, yoghurt, etc.), grain group (bread, bulgur, pasta, etc.), meat-egg-legume group, vegetable-fruit group. Instead of unhealthy options, you can create an additional energy source by making fruit cakes, milk and walnut desserts at home. Also physical movement is very important, please go out with him if necessary and help him play in the street! The consumption amount of the food groups we mentioned varies depending on age, weight and height. Please do not generalize. To get complete help, you should consult nutritionists. Nutrition in children is an issue that requires detailed attention. I will cover nutrition for primary school children in my next article. In this process, you should not forget that; One drop will cause the drop to become a lake.
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