Babies’ Development and the Role of Food

Babies’ development from conception to age three is mind-boggling. Newborns resting in their parents arms are not very mobile and don’t have much to say. By the time they’re three years old, they have learned to roll over, sit up, get themselves precariously standing on two feet. They’ve learned to walk and even run. They can maneuver stairs, stand on one foot, and jump with both feet leaving the ground.

Perhaps most impressively, they’ve learned hundreds of words. Amazingly, they’re already putting the words together in sentences and speaking with plurals. They can tell you what’s going on in a picture book. By the time children are three years old, they’ve had 80 percent of their brain growth for life.

When you look at all the strands of babies’ development, everything you see is forged from and fueled by the food kids eat. Not only that, but by the time they are three, they’ve learned to love specific tastes. That’s one reason it is so important to offer them delicious nutritious food from the start.

Kids learn their food preferences much the same way they learn a language. On the day they’re first born, they could learn to like any type of food. But it’s what they’re exposed to early and often that becomes the food they love – their food language.

When they look at the world and unconsciously decide, “What things do I want to put into my body to become part of me, to become the building blocks of me and the fuel for me?” It’s what they’re exposed to early and often that makes a big difference.

From pregnancy on through the first three years, is the best time for a child to learn to love great food. Watch this video to learn more:

Don’t worry if you’ve got kids who are older than three. You can learn to like new foods at any age, but during those first three years, and even starting in pregnancy, is the easiest time to cultivate an appetite and appreciation for healthy foods.