Feeding your baby right

By Dr. Bill Sears

Do you remember growing? Hardly any of us do. But growing is a lot of work, and your baby needs help in order to do it right. When you understand your baby’s nutrition needs, you’ll help her grow to be the best person she can be.

Grazing is okay. Parents often tell me their child is a picky eater, and I tell them that’s the way children are supposed to be. Kids have tiny tummies and are meant to nibble all day long. It’s what their tummies can handle, and it’s also good for their brains. Grazing keeps your kid’s moods even and mellow. I have a rule of two for kids: eat twice as often, eat half as much, and chew twice as long.

Focus on grow foods. Mrs. Sears and I are blessed with eight children and eight grandchildren. When our children were small, we modeled healthy eating habits for them, and we still do that when our grandchildren come to visit. When our grandchildren are here, we display what I call “grow foods” all over. Grow foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, avocados, and fish like salmon. When our children and grandchildren come to visit, they know that at grandmother’s and grandfather’s house they will have healthy, delicious, real foods.

Yogurt and whole milk. Babies need fat to grow, and that’s why whole milk is essential for babies and toddlers during the first two years. Babies need a lot of calories per pound of body weight in order to grow and develop, and fat is the fastest source of calories.

Yogurt is a great source of protein and healthy fats for babies, toddlers, and growing kids. Growing up, all our children liked yogurt, and now our grandchildren do, too. My family almost always sees YoBaby yogurt when they open my fridge, and because it’s in grandma and grandpa’s house, they know that YoBaby is a healthy and delicious choice.