7 Tips For Good Infant Feeding In Summer
As parents, it is normal to feel a special concern about what your children eat. After all, diet plays a vital role in your health. For this reason, now that summer is here, many feel the need to ensure good infant nutrition.
Fortunately, having more free time and being able to buy fresh and healthy products makes this task easier. What to keep in mind? Next, we share 7 tips that can be put into practice from now on.
1. Introduce new fruits
Summer is a time when a wide variety of fresh fruits can be found on the market. Most are refreshing, sweet and hydrating, perfect for the little ones’ palate.
Therefore, it is a good time to offer them more frequently. Even, If children are reluctant, there are a wide variety of recipes and dishes that can be prepared with them to facilitate their introduction into the diet.
For example, cold soups such as watermelon gazpacho or melon cream can be prepared. There are also other healthy and delicious options, such as salads with mango, pineapple, apple, among other fruits.
2. Cooking vegetable creams and salads
When it is warmer, you want to prepare fresh and light recipes, especially to offer to children. Thus, it is appropriate to change cooked vegetables or hot soups for other adapted dishes.
Vegetables and vegetables provide many nutrients, and their presence in the diet is related to a lower risk of suffering from some diseases in adulthood.
Gazpacho or vichyssoise are two of the ideal dishes for a good diet for children in summer. Also pasta or vegetable salads, in which it is valid to introduce ingredients that are more difficult to accept, such as cucumber or pepper.
3. Prepare homemade ice cream
Ice creams are one of the favorite foods of the little ones. However, in many cases they tend to provide large amounts of sugar or unhealthy fats.
Fortunately, they can be prepared at home easily and quickly, and without the need to buy specific devices.
- The best sorbets are made by crushing your favorite fruits.
- If you like creamy ice creams more, they can be made with milk, coconut milk, yogurt or avocado.
- Cocoa, vanilla or crushed fruits add flavor without the need for artificial colors or flavors.
4. Encourage their participation in the kitchen
The day to day during the year is usually more full of routines and daily tasks for both parents and children. Therefore, summer and holidays are an ideal time to involve the little ones in the preparation of dishes.
Promoting their collaboration arouses their curiosity and interest in cooking, as well as helping to develop their senses of taste and smell. And not only this, it also increases the variety and quality of their diet, and the amount of new foods they are willing to try in the future.
No need to organize large workshops or adapted recipes. It can be to wash some tomatoes, cut some beans or beat some chickpeas to prepare a hummus. It’s about having fun and adapting to your abilities. It is even ideal to let your imagination run wild and try new recipes and food combinations.
5. Share meals with children
Another good tip for a good infant diet in summer is to make the family diet the best example for children. In multiple observations, the parental model is related to a higher intake of fruits and vegetables by young children and adolescents.
For this it is important to take into account some aspects such as the following:
- Sit down to eat with the children, spend enough time and make the meal a pleasant moment.
- Make available a wide range of healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
- Do not force eating as later aversions can be triggered. It is best to offer them repeatedly.
6. Prepare light dishes
In summer, children spend much of their time playing and doing outdoor activities, but this is not related to an increased appetite. Rather, high temperatures have been linked to decreased desire to eat, metabolic rate, and digestion-related enzyme activity.
Consequently, it is preferable to choose recipes that are light, with few sauces, few fats and with mild cooking that is easy to digest. Adding nuts, oily fish, legumes or whole grains makes light dishes very nutritious options.
7. Ensure the consumption of liquids
At this time, the liquid needs of the little ones in the house should not be overlooked. Children have a higher proportion of body fluid compared to adults. Also, these fluids need to be replenished more regularly.
Experts recall the importance of encouraging children to drink, as they often forget to do so; and more in summer when the temperatures are high and they move much more. It is also noteworthy that not all drinks are the same when it comes to providing hydration to your body.
- You have to prioritize water or milk as usual options.
- Sugary drinks, colas, or fruit juices are often high in sugar and low in nutrients. In addition, its consumption is related to greater cases of obesity and dental caries.
- Energy drinks are formulated with ingredients that are not suitable for minors.
The keys to good infant nutrition in summer
To ensure good infant nutrition during the summer, it is essential to encourage the consumption of fruits, vegetables and a variety of fresh foods. Do not neglect feeding schedules and, as far as possible, it is better to offer fresh and light recipes. Keep that in mind!
