Lisa Rose Goode MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian and Clinical Nutritionist at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey’s University Hospital in Newark, NJ where she works in both the inpatient and outpatient setting with adults and children of all ages. Lisa also works as a pediatric nutrition consultant for the Gerber Products Company and travels the country speaking to parents and children about good nutrition.

I’m not surprised when parents tell me they’re giving their 14-month -old skim milk or that they are concerned that he seems insatiable at mealtime. After all, what’s healthy for mom and dad is also healthy for little Jonah, right? Wrong!

Believe it or not, babies are born with excellent internal cues for hunger and fullness. In fact, it is generally not until the ages of 3-5 years that children will respond to external cues when eating and possibly take in more food than they need to thrive. As parents we could learn something from them as they inherently “listen to their own bodies” when it comes to their nutritional needs.

It is important that you learn to nurture your little one’s hunger and fullness cues and allow them to remain intact as your child grows. It is also important for you to listen to your baby… watch for fullness cues during feeding so that you know when it is time to STOP. Younger babies who are just starting solids may repeatedly turn their head away from the spoon, clench their mouth shut, spit out or push away a familiar food, and/or become distracted or fidgety in the high chair. Older babies and toddlers may shake their head “NO”, use hand signals, or even say “no more” or “all done!” to indicate that they are full. Be sure to watch out for all of these signs and respond appropriately!

In fact, when you attempt to force feed, distract your baby in order to sneak food in her mouth, and/or constantly use food as a reward for good behavior, you are interfering with your baby’s hunger and fullness cues. Your baby will lose trust in her body’s own signals and start to respond to external cues. This can open the door to lifelong struggles with weight control.

At mealtime, it is your job as parents to provide a wide variety of nutritious foods and let your child decide how much she is going to eat or whether she is going to eat at all. Rest assured, if your baby eats very little at one meal, she will likely make up for those calories at the following meal. If your baby seems to eat very little throughout the entire day, you will likely find that her intake the following day is more than usual in order to balance things out.

BOTTOM LINE –TRUST IN YOUR BABY! When all is said and done your baby will take in what he needs to thrive.

Remember, it’s up to you as parents to make the most out of this crucial time in your baby’s life. It is completely natural to be concerned that your baby is eating too much or too little. You want them to grow and thrive – to be healthy and happy. Be sure to practice keen observation during mealtime and gradually STOP the meal once those fullness cues have presented themselves. DO NOT attempt to restrict the amount of food your baby is eating or attempt to force-feed your baby at any time. This type of interference will only block your child’s internal regulators of hunger and fullness. Such attempts may also lead to struggles between parents and children that can distort eating attitudes, as well as lead to inappropriate eating behaviors that can last a lifetime.

Keep in mind that there are many other important areas to think about when it comes to your child and good nutrition. As you continue to visit BabyMeTV you can expect to discover more about your baby, about nutrition and about how you can do your very best to raise healthy kids that will grow into healthy adults.

Until the next time… I hope that was Goode For You.

– Lisa Goode MS, RD

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