(Lets face it kids are full of honesty, they say it as they see it. This is a new column written from the ‘HONEST’ observations from our children. It touches on all aspects of the process of growing up and how we as parents can improve ourselves from a child’s point of view).

Sweet like Candy

I sit surrounded by the lazy chaos of a Sunday family lunch. Various family members of all shapes and sizes mull around the table, some deep in conspiratory tete-a-tetes others hooting with laughter as they reminisce over a funny family member. I sit in the centre, like a King on his throne or maybe in my feeding chair my eyes fixated on the desserts that my mother has put on the table.

The residual red rice and chicken bits hang frozen on my chin, but my bowl is still three quarters full, I have only taken one bite and my nanny still preserves, as a last resort I see her unraveling the ever enticing lollipop which she dangles in front of me as I open my mouth for a few more bites. But today even the lollipop dangling is lost, I want some desert!

My mummy dearest has gone to town with her desert spread, we’ve got gooey chocolate biscuit pudding coated with a dusting of dark chocolate cocoa bits, an enticing passion fruit pavlova sits studded with passion fruit seeds glistening like yellow jewels on the white Pavlova bed, amongst it all sits an Oreo cheesecake delectably inviting that the drool just escapes me. I WANT IT ALL. I say no to mushy red rice and runny vegetables in red dhal, I say no to healthy fruit yogurt and a special NO to the vitamin rich fruit juice that’s supposed to make me grow a foot taller.

I just want to be unhealthy, I just want to fill my bowl with ginaormous sized spoons of chocolate ice-cream with ALL the toppings, nougat, chopped nuts, gooey strawberry sauce , you name it I’ll eat it if it has sugar in it!!! My mother spots me in the midst of laughing at one of my auntie’s jokes and shouts “Aiyo has the baby not finished yet!!!, this child is such a poor eater, what am I going to do!!!!”.

“Mummy dearest just give a spoonful of everything on the desert table and I’ll show you some good eating, I PROMISE.” “Give the baby some ice-cream, JUST Dad shouts. I knew Dad was a kindred spirit, he always had my best interests at hear. “No way Mum shouts, can’t give all that sugar is not good for little tummies. I think my heart just broke, not even a tweensy tiny piece of pavlova????...a smidgen of chocolate biscuit pudding?...nothing. Here you go little one the nanny puts plate down in front of my, ooouu what is it I think vanilla ice-cream with a cherry on top….yikes not even close chopped mango with a strawberry for good measure, I am so sad I think I’ll do what I do best and just CRY!!!!!

*************************************************************************************

What sort of foods should you first introduce to your baby?

What are the worst foods to give to your baby:.

1.       Crisps and crackers- Crisps and crackers can make convenient snacks once your baby can bite and chew. But it won't take many to satisfy your little one's appetite, leaving less room for nutrient-rich foods. As well as this, crisps and crackers are usually high in salt. Babies need only a very small amount of salt: less than 1g (0.4g sodium) a day until they are 12 months old. Your baby's kidneys can't cope with more salt than this. 
 

2.       Ready meals- are extremely conviniment but extremely unhealthy with the amount of salt and usgar content.

3.       Sweets and chocolate

4.       Fizzy drinks - Fizzy and soft drinks have no goodness in them, and their acidity can damage your baby's emerging teeth. As well as high levels of sugar, some fizzy drinks, such as cola, contain caffeine. 

5.       Fruit juice - Fruit juice may sound like a healthy option. But it's best not to give your baby fruit juice, for the same reasons you should avoid fizzy and soft drinks. Fruit juices are high in natural sugars and are acidic, meaning they can damage your baby's teeth. Once you start to give your baby solid foods he can have diluted fruit or vegetable juice at mealtimes, although he certainly doesn't need it. Dilute any juice well, using at least one part juice to 10 parts water

 

By Mayuri Jayasinghe