If you're constantly struggling to get your kids to eat their fruits and veggies the reason may have something to do with your diet during pregnancy. A new report reveals that pregnant women who consume more fruits and vegetables are more likely to have children who are less fussy eaters. This proved to doctors that babies get a taste for healthy foods before birth through the amniotic fluid and after through breast milk.
Researchers say that babies are already hardwired to enjoy salty and sweet foods, and may have a harder time adjusting to the initial taste of green vegetables. But by adding these to your pregnancy diet, you may just avoid having to deal with the picky eater woes.
It doesn't surprise me that this study shows how easily babies can be influenced by the type of food their mother eats. After all picky eaters are usually picky because they haven't been accustomed to trying new foods and it turns out it all starts out in the womb.
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However, if you are a mom of a picky eater, the study suggests that babies can still be taught to eat well early on due to their palates. It turns out that infants learn about flavor through the amniotic fluid in the womb and later through breast milk. The study was conducted on 46 babies between the ages 6 months and a year by having them eat carrot-flavored cereal. Those children whose moms drank more carrot juice several times a week for a few months and when breastfeeding were found to eat a cup of the cereal compared to a half cup from those whose mom didn't drink the juice.
The experiment was done to prove how exposing babies early in life to healthy foods will help them transition into eating healthier options when they are finally able to eat solids. If you aren't or weren't the best eater while pregnant, doctors found that bottle fed babies also accept healthier foods when they start eating solids.
Researchers followed up this experiment by feeding babies green beans for 8 consecutive days. They found that the children originally started out eating only a quarter cup and in the end increased their consumption to a cup. In other words, the earlier you expose a child to healthy foods, the more likely they are to eat better when they're older.
This appears like a sound strategy to avoid having a picky eater on your hands and at least there is SOME hope if you already do. It's important to expose children to fruits and vegetables while they're small otherwise it becomes an even bigger challenge when they are older. However, I'm sure there are other factors including genetics and possibly gender that determines their eating habits as well. As long as moms and mommies-to-be try to maintain a healthy diet, their kids should have an easier time acquiring a taste for fresh veggies and fruits!
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