Organic food for children provides a pure start to life

bellamys organic

An article in a recent Scientific American magazine revealed that an increasing number of scientists and physicians wonder if our propensity for unhealthy, obesity-inducing eating might be tied to the food choices made during our first weeks and months of life?

The article went on to say that the latest research indicates that what we learn to like as babies and children paves the way for what we eat as adults. If true, we might be able to tackle the obesity epidemic in a new and more promising way, one that starts with the very first spoonful.

Isn’t this like a lot of things we read in scientific papers? It often turns out that what is obvious and logical about what we should do to ourselves we seem to lose sight of until some scientist finds evidence for the pursuit of the obvious once more!

If we’re spending so much effort on cleaning up our air and our water and our land so that we can “live clean”, why do so many people not follow that through to what they eat?

Deep down, we all know that we really are what we eat.

The good news for parents is if you give your children good eating habits from an early age you set them up for life. It just takes a little time and effort to understand the food choices available and learn how to identify the healthiest products possible for growing little bodies.

Tips for parents:

Always check the nutritional information on the back of packaging, look for sodium and sugars and saturated fats
Ensure your child has a varied diet filled with all five food groups (age dependent)
Consider organic produce as the best choice for avoiding harmful nasties like pesticides, hormones, additives etc.
Keep portion sizes small – remember our kids don’t need eat as much as adults, resist the temptation to oversize
Keep a food routine (age appropriate)-3 balanced meals, 1 morning tea and 1 afternoon tea