Understanding Preteen Eating Patterns

Preteens (kids aged ten to 13 years old) often display definite likes and dislikes when it comes to food. They can be quite tempted by junk food. thanks to being surrounded by messages from the media that make sugary, fatty or refined foods look delicious.

This age group also is hard to stop from snacking mindlessly between meals, especially while they are watching television.

One characteristic that your child might start to display at this age to a greater display is eating to comfort oneself. This is because a child this day may not know how to deal with approaching puberty, hormones and feelings about the opposite sex.

One pattern that could emerge is the one where your pre-teen eats to 'stuff down anger.' This is a hard-wired response to feeling anger that is satiated by the feeling of eating high calorie, salty foods.

Children from ages ten to 13 years old need to eat three sit-down square meals a day and at least three snacks a day to stay healthy. However some of these children may experience a big growth spurt that requires them to constantly be snacking. This is okay as long as the kid is not gaining a great deal of weight and as long as he or she is snacking on healthy foods.

Most preteens are happiest eating three meals a days. Studies have shown that kids who eat healthy meals at home are more likely to choose healthy snacks outside the home. That means saying ‘no’ to greasy chips and sugary candies.

You should also bag your child's lunch. Like play age kids, your preteen is vulnerable to the temptations at local fast food joints and has more expendable income of his own.

If your child must buy lunch then make sure he or she can make the right food choices. One way to control how your adolescent spends money on food is to give them a prepaid debit card; this will give you a good idea of how much they are eating and when they are eating.

Just as a brief recap preteens need to –
• Eat regularly
• Stay away from junk food
• Avoid excess salt and sugar
• Make sure they are getting enough calcium through food sources
• Make sure they are getting enough Vitamin D

The amount of food a child should eat from each food group on a daily basis is determined by his age, sex and physical activity level.

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Baby Feeding Issues and Challenges

One of the biggest challenges of feeding a baby under a year old is to know when he or she is actually ready for solid food.

If you feed a baby solid food too early there is a risk that he or she will develop a food allergy or be unable to digest the food. The result can be stomach and bowel disorders that last for life.

This is why it is so important to err on the side of caution and make sure the baby is ready to eat solid food. If you are really unsure then ask the advice of your doctor.

While still breastfeeding it is also very important for a mother to avoid spicy foods as this can pass through the breast milk and cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. If you do not want a gassy baby then stay away from broccoli and cabbage.

Another issue is of whether or not you should serve your child commercially bought baby food. After all it is fast and convenient. However commercial baby food may not be as fresh or nutritious (or cheap) as baby food that you make yourself in a blender or a Baby Bullit.

Avoid giving your baby the foods that are choking hazards —
• Large chunks of cut up fruits
• Round fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes and melon balls
• Soft sticky foods like marshmallows, peanut belly or gummy candies that can get lodged in the throat.
Remember that an infant under one year just simply does not have the glottis or esophagus or throat muscles needed to process these foods!
It is also very important for you to check the ingredients on any commercial food and make sure that they do not contain any of the following additives.

If you buy baby food with additives in it you may be addicting your baby to fat sugar, preservatives and all kinds of bad things for life. This is because the additives put in these foods do make them look and taste better.

If you give baby a savory or sugary food that is brightly colored it is not going to learn to eat the foods that are good for them – at any age.

The side effects of eating foods that are bad for them include food allergies, increased waistlines, an inability to absorb minerals and vitamins, a fatty liver, childhood obesity, learning and behavioral disabilities and many different childhood cancers and diseases.

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