Give Them Ice-Cream

I was explaining how my daughter doesn’t like milk. I said I was concerned that when she gave up the bottle completely she wouldn’t drink any milk at all. The health nurse was great. She said she doesn’t need milk except for calcium anymore so it’s quite okay for her not to drink any milk. So long as she has enough water and calcium-rich foods. She then wrote down how much calcium is in yoghurt, cheese, custard etc. She said all these foods were suitable replacements.

That sounds pretty reasonable to me, until she added to that ice-cream. Yeah, great! I’ll just give my daughter ice-cream every day instead of milk. A great, healthy alternative option. Not! I really wonder at the nutritional advice these health centres provide.

I’ve had a whine before about what these health centres are suggesting babies and toddlers should eat, but surely the health nurses should be the champions of encouraging healthy eating? Instead, they’re making unhealthy recommendations. I would have thought with childhood obesity such a problem that there would be even greater focus on this very issue? Is it any wonder some children have such appalling diets handed to them on greasy, fat-filled plates?

I know this is only one small suggestion that’s a bit questionable. But this is one of many similar experiences I, and others, have had. It makes me so angry. Especially when little ones don’t know for themselves what’s good or not for their bodies. These poor little mites may struggle with being overweight for the rest of their lives because of the kinds of foods they were given as babies.