Debunking Baby Food Myths

Babies quickly understand the discrepancy if they are served healthy foods while the rest of the family eats junk. It won't take long for your infant to figure out that pureed broccoli and whole grain rice don't seem nearly as appealing as fried chicken and ice cream.

This impressionability of babies and young children is a major factor in our current epidemic of obesity, advises Dr. Shubin. "We project our eating habits, no matter how unhealthy, onto our babies and they do indeed seem to learn at a really early age." So, do all that you can to provide a good example, as well as good foods, for your child to adopt as his or her own.

The early years of childhood are critical in determining the present and future health of your baby. "If you offer a variety of foods, you're setting the table, so to speak, for your toddler's interest in food," says Dr. Brown. "So if you have a child who's had a variety of tastes and textures, you're miles ahead when your child starts the toddler diet. You're planting the seeds early for a child who's more likely to eat well later."