Q: Can you explain the importance of nourishing a child’s body with nutritious foods from such a young age?

We know the first 1000 days which covers the time from conception to 2 years of life plays a crucial role in developing a child’s lifelong health, brain health and immunity.

That is why during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, a mother’s nutritional status is so important (and will be monitored) and then once they start solids, parents are in a crucial position to set their little one up for their future eating habits. It is during this time that baby’s brains are most adaptable and therefore if we can expose them to as many different and nutritious foods as possible, we will be setting them ahead of the rest.

It is also obviously a period of such rapid growth, we know bub will over double in size from birth to their first birthday and therefore we must fuel their growth. Their brain will also be growing and their immune system developing. Nourishing foods provide the necessary nutrients to ensure their bones, brains, organs and immune system reach their full potential. Unfortunately, nutrition deficiencies during these early years can have long-lasting effects. If you do ever have concerns about your baby’s nutritional status, check in with your GP or paediatrician and consider seeing a paediatric dietitian to review and suggest changes, if required.

Q: When it comes to introducing allergens, what’s the best approach, and how early should they be introduced?

The best approach, that reflects the most up to date scientific data is early and often. Early means getting all the allergens in by your little one’s first birthday and often refers to keeping up exposure regularly (ideally twice weekly) once the allergen has been introduced, without adverse reaction.

The studies have demonstrated this approach can help prevent allergies occurring. In Australia, we follow the ASCIA (Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) guidelines which recommend commencing allergens when you commence solids and gradually increasing the amount you offer. I would always recommend starting with a couple of weeks of non-allergen foods just to get bub into the swing of things and then start incorporating them. Eggs should ideally be introduced before your little one turns 8 months and peanuts by the time they are 10 months but outside of this, just in the order of frequency your house consumes them. I find aiming to introduce one allergen per week can make it seem achievable and less overwhelming.

Always make sure you introduce in the first half of the day with time before their first nap and start with ¼ tsp on their first exposure and double to ½ tsp on their second exposure and then 1 whole teaspoon on the third exposure. Provided there is no reaction, continue to offer and increase the amounts you offer them to maintain tolerance.

Q: Are children actually picky eaters? Or is it our response as parents that forms this in them? And do you have any tips for those babies who just down right refuse to put a vegetable to their mouth?

This is such a great question! And ultimately the answer is no! While there is actually an official (but fairly new) diagnosis called ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder), this goes well beyond the stock standard ‘picky’ or ‘fussy’ eating. If you ask a parent of a child aged between 18 months and 5 years if they are picky eaters, most will likely say yes. However, the reality is, part of this just relates to what our expectations are as parents of what they should be eating, combined with seeing how much they ate from 6 months – 12 months. It is important to remember that the period of growth between 0-12 months is the most rapid period of growth they will go through in their life. After this age, their growth will slow and therefore so will their energy requirements. Consequently, sometimes they might eat everything plus the kitchen sink and other days, you will think they are literally surviving off air.

In addition, from around 18 months children also learn the word ‘no’ and finally they feel like they have some kind of independence, so rejecting food can be their way of expressing this new autonomy. Frustrating? Hell yes! Something you need to stress about? Not necessarily. As long as your little one is plotting along their growth trajectory and showing no signs of poor growth / nutrient deficiencies such as lethargy, paleness, sleeping longer than they should, then it really isn’t a cause for concern.

If your baby just won’t touch a vegetable, first tip would be try and try again, although don’t just keep offering broccoli every day until they accept it. Try it a couple of times and if they don’t give it a go or keep rejecting it, leave it and come back round to it in two weeks. Offering a new food with a familiar or safe food can also help encourage uptake. Also - you consuming the food in front of them can be really helpful – monkey see, monkey do! Or thirdly, mixing up the way you offer it, whether it means cutting in a different shape or maxing it seem more fun - Give another way a go. It can be a long, repetitive and sometimes frustrating journey but hang in there!

Q: With winter approaching, do nourishing foods help combat sicknesses and support a children's immune systems during colder months?

Absolutely, nutrition has a major role to play in combating sickness and supporting the immune system. Certain nutrients play direct roles in supporting the immune system. You are probably most familiar with Vitamin C and its role shouldn’t be underestimated. Found in all fruit and vegetables and particularly high in capsicum, strawberry, kiwi fruit and citrus fruit; vitamin C boosts while blood cell function and helps fight infection.

Iron and zinc which are most abundant in meat, are also crucial for immunity, as well as wound healing. Vitamin D, which we largely get from the sun as well as fortified foods, helps regulate the immune responses and reduce inflammation. And finally vitamin A, found particularly in orange vegetables as well as liver and dark leafy greens, supports mucous membranes.

Pre and probiotics are also important for the role they play in keeping the gut healthy, where 70% of the immune system lives. Prebiotics which feed the probiotics, are found in bananas, onions, oats, garlic, asparagus and apple. While pro-biotics which feed the good bacteria are found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and miso.

Q: Lastly, what’s one key piece of advice you’d give parents when it comes to nourishing their baby’s body during those crucial first years?

Take it one day at a time and be gentle with yourself. I think parents often really build it up to be so scary and worry that they are going to do the wrong thing or give the wrong thing and they doubt themselves. The only food you really shouldn’t give is honey before your little one is 12 months (***unless there is a known allergy / medical reason). Aside from that, have fun with it, play with it, embrace it. It’s messy and crazy but it’s so exciting. Oh and give them a wedge of lemon and have the camera ready!