It might also mean that a mother can set her child up to eat healthful foods later in life, and steer them away from junk foods -- at least in theory. One study showed that babies who were eating solid foods and breastfeeding wouldn’t eat green beans until mom started putting them regularly into her diet. This indicates that a mom can help introduce otherwise unsavory foods into her baby’s diet, giving more credence to the “eating for two” catchphrase. But moms can do damage as well. Animal studies have shown that rats fed a diet high in sugar, salt, and fat during gestation and lactation develop offspring that have an exacerbated preference for fatty, salty, and sugary foods and will choose these over healthier options.
The food a woman regularly incorporates into her diet when she’s pregnant and breastfeeding can alter her child’s food preferences. It may not dictate the way she’ll eat for the rest of her life, or even post breastfeeding, but if you want to have a child who isn’t afraid of vegetables, get them started early. Really early.