Baby Food Type: The eating pattern of small children keeps changing according to age. Many children eat mashed food even after growing up, but do you know whether doing so is right or wrong. Let us know for how long should mashed food be given to the child.
Mashed Food Baby Side Effects: After completion of 5-6 months, small children start eating and drinking other things except milk. Mashing food is important for young babies in the early months, especially when their nervous system and teeth are developing. But after a certain age, if the child is continuously given mashed food, it can prove to be harmful for his growth. Many parents feed mashed food to small children even after they grow up, on this Dr. Nihar Parekh says that it is very important to develop the habit of chewing food in children after the age of one year. Let us know from Dr. why children should not be fed mashed food after a certain age.
Why is it important to chew food?
When children chew food, saliva and digestive juices are active in their mouth. This process breaks food into smaller parts and makes it digestible. If food is always mashed, this natural digestive process does not occur completely. Due to this, nutrition is not absorbed properly in the body, due to which the child’s weight does not increase rapidly, immunity can become weak and overall development is also affected.
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How to develop the habit of chewing in children
The best way is to encourage children to play with food and chew their food. Colorful food options, funny stories, jokes and giving little or no food keep children interested in eating. Gradually introducing hard food like pieces of vegetables or soft fruits also strengthens children’s muscles and joints. Keep giving chewable things to children to eat like dry fruits, nuts, bread etc.
Should one give up mashing food completely as one ages?
Dr. Nihar explains that after one year of age, the child should gradually give up mashing and give solid food. It is easier to give them small pieces and soft food in the beginning, but over time, introducing them to fully solid food is beneficial for their teeth, gums and digestion.
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