Chapter 1 – The Best Nourishment from the Very Beginning

Eating, from early childhood, has not only biological but also psychological, social, and cultural significance. As soon as a baby is born, they are placed on the mother’s breast to promote bonding and the successful initiation of breastfeeding: in this way, the baby receives the best possible nourishment and the deep bond between mother and child—known as bonding—is strengthened. As the months go by, moments related to breastfeeding and the first solid foods continue to have fundamental importance, also in terms of relationships and psychophysical development. Even in intrauterine life, the baby experiences and gradually refines their ability to feed and swallow.

Once born, the baby already has genetic potentials, which are expressed through instinctive behaviors that allow them to survive immediately after birth: reflexes. Some of these, such as the sucking reflex, form the foundation—together with the sensory systems—on which subsequent abilities will be built and, over time, will become true skills.
During the first year of life, the feeding function is made up of new experiences that follow one another rapidly. Consider that only six months pass from when the baby’s diet is exclusively milk-based to the introduction of the first spoon-fed foods and, later, various solid foods.

To go through all these developmental stages, the baby must explore many sensory and motor novelties. They learn to recognize different flavors, become familiar with various temperatures, textures, shapes, and smells, and must manage and refine muscular activity through the movements of the mouth, tongue, cheeks, swallowing (and later chewing) while simultaneously developing digestive maturity at the gastric and intestinal levels.

Every day, multiple times a day, the child encounters new things to observe, face, and manage. For this reason, it is essential that they feel supported and that there is an atmosphere of trust around them. In this respect, Maria Montessori was a strong advocate of children’s autonomy—even at the table. According to Montessori, whose educational methods are studied and followed worldwide, young children must feel free to experiment, touch food, manipulate it, and bring it to their mouths with their hands. But that’s not all: it’s also important to share meals together as much as possible, because “children should not be taught, but shown how to eat.”
If a child feels free to act and perceives a peaceful atmosphere around them, they feel understood and supported in all the phases of this delicate and crucial stage of growth—decisive for their overall wellness.