For lifelong good health and wellbeing, it is important to establish healthy behaviours at an early age. This reduces the risk of your child developing a chronic lifestyle which relates to diseases. Early introduction to healthy choices in nutrition and physical activity is a pertinent matter. Your early initiatives will help ensure that your child gets to have the best possible start in life and every opportunity for a bright future.

At an early stage, learn and practice to support a consistent and natural approach to childhood nutrition and physical activity. These two go hand in hand. At the earliest, if you are gifted with breastmilk, be grateful, as breastfeeding is still the ideal food for your baby and is the only food needed for around six months. If you are able to do this for over six months, the better. If you are bound to go back to work, you can always get some privacy and then store your expressed milk. Though the saying breastmilk is best for babies, a small number of mothers are unable to do so, might be due to illness or medicines, there's always the baby formula. You will still have that connection with your baby as you bottle-feed the little one, the cooing, the cuddling all present.

Once you are ready to introduce solids, make sure these foods are iron rich. Introducing different tastes and textures, no need to add salt and sugar or other flavours. Discuss more with your pediatrician should you need assistance, the best introductory solid food from vegetables, fish, meat and poultry and fruits. Start them young, eating healthy food. Follow the basic food groups. As each group provides a range of nutrients. As long as you can withhold discretionary choices, please do so as these are low on nutritional value.

Make each meal a positive one, give your children the opportunity to develop good eating habits and behaviours. A sample way of making it positive is by not reacting negatively when, as expected, your kids will make a little mess on the table, and positively discourage behaviours like spitting food or throwing food. You can always encourage them to try or eat a particular meal, but never force them to finish one.

We are responsible in offering a safe and nutritious meal to our kids in appropriate amounts. It's then your child's decision what food they want to eat. As typically, their bodies will respond to needs. We offer and make available what we know would be best for them as that is what they will have access to, what parents provide. Give them options, make sure both are nutritious, so regardless what they finish, they will get the nutrients that they need.

Always remember, at a young age, they only have access to what we provide them. We can make food appealing and design them to be enticing for our kids.