As your child reaches one year of age, there are three important changes to be aware of in their diet:
Change #1: Increase intake of staple foods.
After the age of one, staple foods and vegetables should be the main meals for your child. Aim for three meals a day consisting of staple foods and vegetables, with a daily consumption of 400-600ml of milk. The rest of the time, focus on providing a variety of staple foods and vegetables to ensure your child gets diverse nutrition.
Change #2: Add a small amount of salt to your child's food.
Parents can start adding a pinch of salt to their child's food after the first year. However, if your child can eat food without salt, you can skip this step for a while. It's important to note that natural foods already contain sodium, so incorporating seafood such as oysters, nori, and seaweed can be beneficial for your child's diet.
Change #3: Encourage independent eating.
It's crucial for children to learn to eat independently. Allowing your child to eat on their own helps them develop an understanding of how much they need to eat at each meal, prevents overeating or undereating, and reduces the chances of picky eating. Don't be concerned about your child getting messy, as the benefits of eating independently, such as fine motor skill development and brain development, outweigh the messiness.
By being aware of these three major changes in your child's diet after they turn one year old, you can ensure they are getting the right nutrition and developing healthy eating habits.
