A Babies Club member asked our lovely nutritionist teh following question... "I've got a 1 year old who can now apparently 'eat mostly what we eat' but I am nervous of doing this. Is it really OK for my son to eat the things we eat, things that may be fried, cheesy, salty or a bit spicy? I've pretty much had him having no or very low salt, fat and sugar up to this point. One of my friends convinced me to give him margarine on his toast as she said babies need a certain amount of calories, is this true? Thanks for your advice."

Rebecca answered, "Don't be too nervous about introducing 'your' foods to your son as eating together as a family is a great activity - both short term and long term. Fantastic that you have previously offered foods low in salt, fat and sugar as the early offering of foods high in these nutrients can perpetuate an unnecessary preference. Going forward, ideally offer your son foods with limited salt, fat and sugar so for example if you add salt to food while cooking, only add salt at the very end once you have taken his portion out. The same applies with the addition of seasonings to foods - remove his portion before adding sauces, strong vinegars, oils and spices. If you have jam on toast, spread a thinner layer on his piece of toast. Remember cheese is a superb form of calcium and protein which is required for growing children so shouldn't be restricted but like anything only offer it in moderation. 

Your friend is indeed correct - we all, including your son require calories to survive! Calories (or the energy found in food) is what gives us our fuel to continue daily activities - in the case of your son this includes walking, talking, sleeping and playing. All foods provide calories with quantities varying between different nutrients."