[...]... kitchen to reassess what's happening You know what Food for Thought: The Ten Commandments they say about "good intentions." The Smiths are paving their way right down the road to nutritional disaster Parents need to understand that bad eating habits translate into serious health issues over time Good nutrition takes more than just knowing the five basic food groups (Although they do matter—that's why Chapter... that at least they provided "enough" calories, even if they weren't spread out over the various food groups Jane thinks that Jill is getting good nutrition because she gets seven bottles of milk a day She is filling up a picky eater with milk, and that's not good nutrition Jane is also breaking commandment number 9 She is encouraging another dessert monster to haunt the family The quality of the food... special dessert, especially if the family history doesn't include obesity 10 Thou shall not mistake calories for nutrition, Your child needs not only calories but also a variety of foods that increase as your child gets older Your child needs nutritional diversity in order to get all the good nutrients that nature offers Parents may add up a day's worth of cookie calories and erroneously convince themselves... prepared Your kitchen doesn't need to be open for business three times every day 8 Thou shall not fear fat in your infant Jack's nutritionally misguided parents put him on skim milk at age one because of fear of fat Giving skim milk to a hearty toddler is not only unwise but can lead to nutritional deficiencies and neurological problems There are also some cases of "insufficient feeding syndromes" where a... Although mealtime can be a wonderful opportunity for sharing news, learning about nutrition, and satisfying the appetite, too often it is also the location of heated struggles ("Don't talk with your mouth full." "You are not leaving this table until you eat all of your vegetables.") Your children should never dread mealtime Good manners, though important, are best taught away from your table Save the "lectures"... needs to understand that Tommy won't even notice that he didn't get dessert Nutritionally, dessert is usually some form of junk food Food for Thought: The Ten Commandments and concentrated sugar But it's presented with special fanfare, often to children who are no longer even hungry Dessert is often offered as a reward for good behavior or for having eaten everything on the child's plate How smart... preschooler Jane may not like it when Lilly pushes food around on her plate while sitting with her elbow up to her ear, but she doesn't need to comment on it She can model good manners without saying a word, and eventually Lilly will mirror the good manners right back 8 How to Feed Your Child 5 Thou shall not overreact to a picky eater The most common eating problem among young children is socalled picky... this way, and it's natural for him to throw a tantrum when it doesn't work out just as he wants Jane is obviously concerned about Jill and is bemoaning the fact that she used to be such a good eater She still is a "good" eater, for a toddler Jane needs to let up on the pressure she is directing toward Jill Otherwise Jill will stand in her big sister's sneakers and start controlling her parents with... often with every feed If the mother has reasonable nutrition, her breast milk is rich in calories and perfectly balanced in nutrients Second only to life itself, breast milk is the best gift you can give your child New mothers often ask me what kind of milk is best: the first milk, the middle milk, or the hind milk? I respond that all the milk is good for baby The first milk, called colostrum, is highest... dairy in your diet Contrary to common belief, you don't need to drink milk to make milk Remember that cows eat grass, and they make plenty of milk! What about nutritional supplements? Even if you are breast-feeding, your newborn may need certain nutritional supplements, depending on your health and lifestyle 18 How to Feed Your Child Breast-fed babies may need supplementation with vitamins A and D because .