Can you splurge? I recall the first time my daughter came back from my suegra’s house, with tell-tale Nutella stains on her onesie. I was livid, and my suegra just smiled sheepishly and said, “But I only gave her a little.” And that’s where the best intentions hit up against reality: it’s hard to shield your child from super-sweet foods all the time, especially if she sees you eating them, or they are offered when she visits abuela or plays at a friend’s house. Some childhood development specialists say that there’s never an appropriate time to give your baby even a taste of sweet foods that you know are unhealthy, like ice cream, cookies and chocolate. But where idealism meets realistic parenting, you simply can’t win them all. So if you offer the occasional taste of ice cream or candy, make sure you don’t keep these items on hand, and instead make them special and infrequent treats during a family outing or other special event. Otherwise—and trust me on this one—she’ll figure out where you hide the Nutella!
