By Daniella GrayShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA Northern Ireland mom trying her best to raise a healthy eater was brought face-to-face with the reality of her own childhood after discovering a photo of herself as a baby.
Zoe Stewart, 25, (@zoekstewart) posted two pictures on TikTok. The first image shows a toddler’s healthy plate of rice, vegetables and fruit.
The text overlay reads: “Me in 2025 trying to feed my baby nutritious foods and avoid added sugar or salt.” The next slide rewinds back to the year 2000 when Stewart was sitting in her stroller holding a lollipop at 3-months-old.
...She captioned the picture: "The definition of ‘We did XYZ and you turned out fine.'"
Stewart, who is mom to 11-month-old Lennon with partner Joel Faulkner, also 25, told Newsweek that she spent months reading books and attending classes about pediatric nutrition in an effort to get everything “right” for her son.
She learned a lot from a four-week weaning program run through Sure Start, which teaches moms about portion sizes, weaning and general nutrition.
“They showed us comparisons of homemade food and shop-bought baby meals and pouches, and explained how much salt and sugar they each had,” Zoe said. “I also want to make sure that he’s exposed to a range of foods early on to hopefully prevent him from developing intolerances or becoming a picky eater.”
While there are still rushed days when waffles and beans make an appearance, overall, Zoe aims for a balanced approach during mealtimes, but intention guides the overall picture.
Her own upbringing landed in a different era of parenting. Born in 1999, Zoe said that “there was no Google at my parents’ fingertips to ask for advice” and nutritional guidance was less available.
Her dinners mainly consisted of meat, potatoes and vegetables, with the occasional sweet treat or “unhealthy” snack.
“This was a time when people encouraged you to drink Guinness during pregnancy for iron,” Zoe said. “Can you imagine being allowed to do that now?”
The lollipop photo surfaced while Zoe was sifting through family albums ahead of a DIY wedding project.
“When I saw it I laughed in disbelief,” Zoe said. “I knew I was allowed sweets growing up but I never thought I’d had a taste of them so young, especially a lollipop. I have primary [elementary] school-age family members now who aren’t even allowed pops because of the choking hazard.”
Her parents, meanwhile, don’t remember the moment at all. Zoe said they responded with their “favorite” phrase: “It did you no harm.”
“There are so many things I’ve tried to avoid with my baby that have ‘done me no harm’ as I’m sure many other young parents have heard from their parents as well,” Zoe said.
The first-time mom sometimes worries about being seen as overprotective, yet she views her choices not as paranoia but as adaptation.
“I’m just trying my best with the information and knowledge we have raising children now compared to what was available when I was born,” Zoe added.
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