When the baby reaches six months old and starts showing interest in foods other than breast milk, parents often find it hard to resist their curiosity and eagerness, so they try giving them various foods. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, how to safely let babies enjoy mooncakes becomes a topic of concern for parents, and the issue of babies not liking to eat also troubles many families.
During festive occasions like the Mid-Autumn Festival, when introducing mooncakes to babies, several aspects should be considered. Firstly, considering digestion capacity, it’s best to schedule mooncake consumption in the morning or at noon to avoid eating them at night since the metabolism and digestion functions are relatively weaker during that time. Secondly, as mooncakes are similar to staple foods in terms of nutrition, containing high sugar and fat, it is recommended that children over three years old only eat a quarter piece each time, and reduce the intake of other staple foods and greasy foods accordingly to avoid indigestion. Additionally, when pairing with mooncakes, one should choose plain water, light tea, or homemade fruit tea to aid digestion, avoiding high-sugar drinks like soda, fruit juice, or strong tea. It is also good to pair with light rice porridge and fresh fruits such as oranges, bananas, which are tasty and healthy.
For babies who are overweight or have special health conditions like diabetes, the consumption of mooncakes needs strict control. Even so-called “sugar-free mooncakes” should be consumed with caution as they may contain high-fat or other hard-to-digest ingredients. Furthermore, when eating mooncakes, it’s important to chew slowly and parents should be present to ensure the child safely enjoys the food.
In dealing with a situation where the baby refuses to eat, parents can take a series of measures: demonstrate proper eating behavior themselves, educate children to value food and table manners; establish regular eating habits from an early age, fix meal times and places to cultivate a routine; avoid vigorous exercise before meals, maintain a quiet dining environment, and reduce distractions; limit pre-meal snacks, especially sweets, to ensure the child’s appetite for the main meal; most importantly, respect the child’s hunger, avoid force-feeding, and create a pleasant dining atmosphere to stimulate their appetite. By being patient and using appropriate methods, help children develop good eating habits.
