In a new study, published in the medical journal, JAMA Pediatrics, experts found that babies that fed themselves developed a taste for healthier foods.
Researchers at Otago University, New Zealand, conducted a clinical trial and discovered that infants that self-fed weren’t as picky towards food at 12 to 24 months than those who were spoon fed.
Anne-Louise Heath, Associate Professor of the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago, told The New Zealand Herald: “If you are giving kids a variety of different tastes and textures — that's messy but enjoyable exploration of food — it is quite different from giving them a bland [diet]."
She also added that a wide and varied palate can be developed early in life. "You think babies won't like spicy foods, but taste is a learned behaviour".
"We also found no evidence for previous suggestions that infants following a baby-led approach may not eat enough food, and no sign that they were underweight," wrote Professor Rachel Taylor, from the Dunedin School of Medicine.
"The last thing you want is a fussy kid," says Rachel, who studies childhood obesity. "You want them eating more than sausages, peas and bread."
The study was originally conducted to evaluate the link between baby-led weaning and childhood obesity. The result, however, was inconclusive.
Plunkett, a provider of support services and healthcare for children under five in New Zealand, gave a list of food recommendations for weaning babies on their website.
These include a variety of soft foods for babies including pureed baked beans, pureed chickpeas, pureed sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin, mashed bananas and apple sauce.
Plunkett also offers some safety tips for feeding your child:
- Teach them to wash their hands before they eat to help stop them getting sick.
- When they’re ready to eat, choking can be a danger so it’s good to keep watching them.
- Teach them to sit down while they’re eating and drinking, and stay with them.
- Try not to give them small, hard foods like nuts and popcorn.
What are your thoughts, mums? Be sure to let us know in the comment section.
