WASHINGTON — You probably don’t remember why you liked the foods you did as a child. They were likely fed to you as a youngster, or you developed a connection through your parents’ eating habits.
But that’s not all: “We know that genetics play a role and we’re learning more about that,” Lean Plate Club blogger Sally Squires told WTOP.
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at three-year-old twins and found there might be a genetic component to liking fruits and vegetables.
Still, parents have a heavy influence on eating habits. For one thing, Squires recommends breast-feeding and waiting until your baby is six months old before switching them to solid foods.
How do you know your baby is ready for solid food? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s when he or she has good head control and sits up with little support.
They try to grab food from your plate and turn their heads away from the bottle or breast when they’re not hungry.
Your child should be slowly introduced to fruits and vegetables. It takes children at least 10 times to taste food before accepting it, so if you eat these foods yourself, your baby models that behavior.
To aid food acceptance, Squires said, offer a well-balanced meal and let your child choose what they want to eat. Don’t try to force foods to them or make it a power struggle, she concluded.
Listen to Squires’ full interview with WTOP here.
