Everyone knows the expression “You are what you eat.” But did you know that what you eat also affects what your child will eat?
During pregnancy, the foods a woman eats can flavor her amniotic fluid. The fetus growing inside swallows the fluid and become used to the flavors of the foods eaten. This can affect what a child will and will not eat later on. One study that showed this came from researchers feeding pregnant rabbits juniper berries. When the young rabbits were old enough, they sought out juniper berries to eat. A study involving pregnant humans showed that mothers who drank carrot juice regularly during pregnancy had children who were more agreeable to carrots later on.
A mother’s diet not only flavors amniotic fluid, it can also flavor her breastmilk. This exposure to a wide range of foods early on can help an infant become exposed to a variety of tastes, and grow to enjoy these foods before they are ever eaten. By choosing a varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables mothers have the unique ability to influence healthy eating habits long before they begin.
photo credit: seanmcgrath
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January 26th, 2010 at 5:13 PM
I guess this is why my second daughter eats worse than my first daughter. Because I was waaay more laid back in my diet during my second pregnancy, and all that chocolate cake finally caught up to us I guess. Crap!