58 | JULY & AUGUST 2019
Email your question for our experts to:
[email protected]. Please note that
experts unfortunately cannot respond to
each question personally. The answers
provided on these pages should not
replace the advice of your doctor.MY TWO-YEAR-OLD EATS
THE SAME FOODS
WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO
INTRODUCE CHOCOLATE?
Q:
My baby is almost 10 months
old. I would like to know when
I can give her chocolate. I was always
told definitely not before one year,
but a friend with a baby the same age
went to the paediatrician, and he gave
her baby a chocolate. I found this
very surprising.A:
Dr Strachan responds: Plain
chocolate is made from sugar,
milk solids, vegetable fat and cocoa.
So, in the greater scheme of things
there should be no problem unless the
10-month-old has a proven allergy to
any of these ingredients. A 10-month-
old is almost certain to have eaten milk
products (formula, yoghurt, biscuits)
and sugar, so it is unlikely that the
child will be taking something for
the first time. So no, the paediatrician
was not putting the child at risk for
anything untoward.
Is it reasonable to make chocolatea regular part of the diet of a
10-month-old? No. It is far more
important to feed the child wholesome,
preservative-free food. This is the age
to start good dietary habits.
Is it okay to allow a one-year-old to
have chocolate? Some people would
ask why start chocolate in the first
place? Why allow your child to have
any sweets, or preservatives or chips
and cooldrinks?
From the age of one, a child is able to
eat anything. This is the time when we
start cow’s milk and stop the formulas,
when we encourage finger foods and
start the move away from baby food
preparations to just mushing up what
the family eats. So, a little treat of
a tiny piece of chocolate is not going
to harm anybody who is a year old
and above. However, never use things
like chocolate as a bribe for eating
food – and never use food as a tool to
manipulate or bribe. YBQ:
My two-year-old daughter
seems to eat the same foods
almost every mealtime – she’s mad
about cucumber sticks and Marmite
sandwiches, so there’s not a whole lot
of variety in her diet. She gets three
formula feeds a day in addition to her
“favourites”, but I’m worried that her
diet is not balanced enough. How can
I introduce some more variation to her
diet – and what foods should she be
eating at this age?A:
Tammy answers: Children
between the ages of two and six
years can develop “food jags”, which
are periods during which foods that
were previously liked are refused or
a particular food is requested at
every meal. This behaviour may be a
means of asserting newly discovered
independence. As a parent, it is normal
to be concerned about the adequacy
of your child’s diet. Some struggles
over the control of eating situations arefruitless, and no child can be forced
to eat. Understand that this period is
temporary. You as a parent are still
in control over what food is offered,
and you have the opportunity to set
limits on inappropriate behaviour. You
should offer a variety of foods while
including your child’s favourite ones,
and don’t routinely substitute foods if
your child refuses to always eat what is
offered and thinks that she can always
get something else instead.
By this age, your child should be
eating the same food as you. Involve
her in preparing meals, as this may
give her the feeling of independence
over her choices; this way she will
be more likely to choose a different
food. Don’t ask what she would like to
eat. Rather offer her healthy choices,
for example, “Would you like to eat
carrot salad or coleslaw with dinner
tonight?” Don’t offer fluids too close to
mealtimes, as this may reduce appetite.&
Q A
OUR EXPERTS ANSWER
YOUR QUESTIONS
Tammy Wolhuter
Registered dieticianDr Simon Strachan
Paediatrician