Food And Your Child

When your child is small, one thing that most Parents are almost paranoid about is his diet or the food he eats. They are forever worried whether their child is eating enough, even if the child is eating well. Or whether the child is eating too much for his age!

Personally speaking, we haven't worried about our child's food. In the first place, we never got worried about the hygiene aspect, in the sense that if she dropped something she was eating and picked it up and put it in her mouth, it didn't worry us unduly. Our child has probably picked everything off the ground and eaten. I have always allowed it unless it was something, which could be poisonous. I never bothered about germs, because I know that the body automatically takes care of some germs that enter the body thus, making the body's immune system that much stronger.

When you are pregnant you must have lots of fruit so that you inculcate 'fruit-habit' in your child from that time itself. It's important for the mother and child to have fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts.

The quantity of food a child may eat depends upon his individuality and is different for each child. One needn't unnecessarily worry about the quantity the baby eats especially if he shows an optimum energy level. If your child has a medium to high energy level, is very bright and playful then there is no need to worry about any other parameters like his weight, height etc. As long as the child is healthy, strong and energetic, the child is eating well. But however, there is a cause for concern when your child is dull, listless and lacking in energy. Then you need to take some action (may be show him to a Doctor).

Another thing that worries most Parents is 'junk-food'. They are most upset when their child eats pre-packed potato chips, chocolates, sweets, ice creams etc. I would say that it's not such a bad idea to allow the child to have these in controlled, limited quantities every day, like a sweet or a piece of chocolate everyday than to suppress his craving, which may compel him do it on the sly, behind your back.

If your child is at an age where he has started understanding the days of the week, Monday to Sunday, then you can easily set up a timetable for him to fit-in such 'junk food', something different each day. Junk food is not all that bad. For generations we have all eaten some form or the other of junk food. So don't cut it out totally and immediately from your child's food-schedule. In fact, I would say a little bit of junk food is healthy food.

                            - By Manoj Lekhi (Key Disciple of Guruji Rishi Prabhakar ji)