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As a parent, you want to be sure that your child is healthy and strong. The most important part of caring for your child is making sure that they’re getting the proper nutrition that is needed for their growing body. It may feel overwhelming, and you might not be sure where to start with nutrition. Your pediatricians at Pediatric Associates of Wellesley in Weston and Medfield, MA, can offer nutrition guidance to make sure that your child is properly nourished.

5 Tips to Child Nutrition

1. Make mealtimes a priority. When meals are something that happens alone, your child may not be excited to eat, or may not care. When you make meals a priority, it gives your child something to look forward to every day. This can mean sitting down together as a family to eat dinner. This also helps give your child a safe space and can help establish healthy eating habits.
2. Get your child involved. When your child is involved in their own meal preparation, it can make them more excited to eat healthier foods. You can bring your child with you to the grocery store and have them help pick out foods for the week. This is also a good chance to teach your child how to read a food label, giving them more responsibility and helping them understand what’s in the food they are eating.
3. Slowly shift to healthier food options. Instead of revamping every part of your child’s meal, start by finding healthier alternatives to unhealthy foods. This can be switching out soda for water or switching from potato chips to nuts.
4. Limit your child’s sugar intake. When you visit your pediatricians in Weston and Medfield, MA, for nutrition guidance, they may first suggest limiting how much sugar your child is getting. Naturally occurring sugar in fruits and vegetables is good, but foods with added sugars should be monitored and limited.
5. Make fruits and veggies exciting. When you’re first introducing your child to fruits and veggies, they may not be thrilled to try new items, but there are ways to make it fun for your child. It’s important to always keep fresh fruit and vegetables on hand and let your child choose their favorite foods while shopping. You can also hide veggies in food so that your child is getting the nutrition they need without even knowing it.

Contact Your Pediatrician Today!

It’s important to make sure you start your child on good food habits at a young age! Contact your pediatricians at Pediatric Associates of Wellesley in Weston and Medfield, MA, to learn about nutrition guidance today! Call for the office in Weston, MA, at (781) 736-0040 and the office in Medfield, MA, at (508) 359-9200.