6 Top Tips for Healthy Eating

Jennifer Bright
Mon, 12 Jul 2021 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

Right now, every time you feed your baby, you're laying the foundation for your child's lifelong eating habits.

No pressure.
Updated: Tue Jul 13, 2021

Right now, every time you feed your baby, you're laying the foundation for your child's lifelong eating habits.

No pressure.

But it really is that important. Because your baby wants to be just like you, modeling nutritious eating is one of the best things you can do. For example, if your baby sees you eating yogurt, he or she is more likely to try it, too. And you reap the health benefits of all of that healthy eating while you're at it.

By offering your little one nutritious meals and snacks that are filled with fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains, you're likely meeting all of his nutritional needs.

Here's what our Mommy M.D.s — doctors who are also mothers — do to encourage healthy eating in their own babies.

"My healthy eating strategy is buying the right foods," says Heather Orman-Lubell, M.D., a mom of two sons and a pediatrician in private practice at Yardley Pediatrics of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Pennsylvania. "This is especially important if you have a babysitter because she's going to feed your kids whatever you have in the house!"

"When babies become toddlers, it's harder to control their eating habits," says Dina Strachan, M.D., a mom of one daughter, a dermatologist, director of Aglow Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor in the department of dermatology at New York University. "You're battling the sugar monster. The key is to control the access."

"Encouraging healthy choices is definitely a challenge," says Sigrid Payne DaVeiga, M.D., a mom of three children and a pediatric allergist with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "I try to make sure my kids eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal — even breakfast."

"I count it as a win every time I succeed in making a wholesome meal that my son likes," DaVeiga adds. "The best reward is when my son asks, 'Can we eat this every night?'"

"It's critical that toddlers eat the proper foods," says Eva Ritvo, M.D., a mom of two, psychiatrist and author of "Bekindr: The Transformative Power of Kindness" in Miami Beach, Florida. "Their brains are developing rapidly, and proper nutrition is important for them to get the best start in life."

"The toddler years are a wonderful window of time when you truly can influence what your child eats," Ritvo adds. "I handled this with my daughters much like I handled family values. I told my girls: 'Our family tries our best to eat nutritious, healthful foods. We love our bodies and treat them well.' Conversations like this, and modeling healthy behaviors, are impactful with toddlers, and it sets the stage for more in-depth conversations and better compliance when they are teenagers."

"One way to get a lot of fruits and vegetables into my daughter's diet is to make smoothies," says Christy Valentine, M.D., a mom of one daughter, a specialist in pediatrics and internal medicine and the founder of the Valentine Medical Center in Gretna, Louisiana. "She's loved them since she was a toddler. I toss fruits, vegetables, juice and ice cubes into the blender and mix them all up. My daughter can help make smoothies, too, and she loves that."

"I gave my toddlers lots of fresh fruit to eat," says Eva Mayer, M.D., a mom of a daughter and a son, an associate professor of pediatrics at Temple University and a pediatrician with St. Luke's Pediatrics Associates in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "But sometimes fruits like strawberries can be tart, and my kids wouldn't want to eat them. Rather than sprinkling sugar on top, I drizzled a bit of agave nectar on them. It's sweeter than sugar, so you save calories by using only a tiny bit to sweeten anything."

"My kids aren't picky eaters, but one thing I've found that helps them eat even better is having a backyard garden," says Ann Arthur, M.D., a mom of a daughter and a son and a pediatric ophthalmologist in private practice at Park Slope Eye Care Associates in New York City. "Even if you only have room for a planter box, you can grow some of your own vegetables."