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From week to week, even from meal to meal, you will find that my appetite and
food preferences can change dramatically. At breakfast, for example, I may devour
a cheese omelet, two slices of toast, and a whole banana. At lunch, I may take a
bite or two of my sandwich and declare I am "all done." At the next morning's
breakfast, I may insist on having a slice of cheese on my toast; but that evening,
I may ask you to wash the cheese off my broccoli because I don't like cheese. As
my parent, you may face two major challenges in regard to feeding me. The first is
knowing what and how much to feed me. The second is knowing how to cope with phases
of picky eating, decreasing appetite, and misbehavior.
Nutrition [ Top]
Eating a variety of healthy foods provides me with the nutrients I need to build
a strong body. It also supplies me with the energy I need to grow normally, play,
learn, and stay healthy. My diet should include foods that contain vitamins, minerals,
protein, carbohydrates, fats, and water. Keeping track of my nutrient and caloric
intake is almost impossible and is not really necessary. Offering me a variety
of nutritious foods is the best way to supply the nutrients and calories I need.
As long as I am growing normally both physically and developmentally and I do not
have certain medical conditions and I am not on a special diet, I will usually eat
what I need to meet my energy needs. If am under or overweight, consult with my doctor
or a registered dietitian for a special diet to meet my needs.
Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta
These foods are a major source of carbohydrates and B vitamins that provide me
with energy for growing and playing. These foods also contain fiber, iron, and zinc.
Children need six servings each day. Examples of single servings include one half
to three fourths of a slice of bread, half a cup of ready-to-eat cereal, and one-fourth
to one-third cup of pasta. Offer me whole grain choices for some of the servings
from this group. Whole grain choices contain more of some vitamins, minerals, and
fiber than grain products made from refined flour. Breads with part unbleached flour
and part whole-wheat flour are nutritionally preferable to breads made solely with
refined white flour.
Vegetables
These foods are a primary source of vitamins A and C, and they contain other important
vitamins and minerals as well. I need vitamin A for normal growth, good vision, healthy
skin, and tooth development. I also need vitamin A for proper bone and tissue growth
and repair. Vitamin C also helps me build and strengthen my bones and tissues. In
addition, vitamin C builds blood, protects tissues, promotes healing, and increases
resistance to infections. Vegetables also provide calcium, B vitamins, carbohydrates,
fiber, iron, and other minerals. I need three child-sized portions each day, one
high in vitamin A and one high in vitamin C. One serving could be about one-fourth
to one-third cup of cooked vegetables, or one-half cup of vegetable juice. Try to
offer me a wide variety of vegetables, even though I may not want them. Offering
the vegetables gives me the opportunity to try them when I wish. To make vegetables
fun to eat, serve them with a low-fat dip. For a silly treat, arrange vegetables
in the shape of a face. To increase my intake of vegetables, you may also add pureed
or finely chopped vegetables to soups, eggs, casseroles and pasta sauces.
Fruits
These foods are a primary source of vitamins C and A. They also provide B vitamins,
carbohydrates, fiber, iron, and other minerals. I need two child-sized portions each
day, one high in vitamin C and one high in vitamin A. One serving could be half an
apple sliced into wedges, half a banana, one-fourth cup sliced fruit, or one-half
cup fruit juice. Always peel or thoroughly wash fresh fruits to protect me from
pesticide residues. When buying fruit juice, look for juices that contain 100
percent juice rather than water, artificial color and sugar. Choose fruits packed
in water rather than in syrup.
Milk, yogurt, and cheese
These dairy products provide calcium, phosphorus, protein, carbohydrates, riboflavin,
and vitamins A and D (if fortified). I need calcium for building and maintaining
bones, teeth, and muscles. I need from three to four servings of dairy products each
day. If I have a milk intolerance or dairy allergies, be sure to talk with my doctor
about the best substitutes. One-serving examples include one-half to three-fourths
cup of milk or yogurt, or three-fourths to one ounce of cheese. Drinking three to
four glasses containing from four to six ounces of milk is all I need. Drinking more
milk may fill me up, leaving no room for other nutritious foods. If I don't like
milk and refuse to drink it, offer me yogurt, cheese and pudding as substitutes.
You can also add powdered milk to casseroles to increase my intake of calcium.
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and tofu
These foods provide protein that I need for proper growth. I also need protein
to build, repair, and replace tissues; to fight infection; and to regulate metabolism.
These protein-rich foods also contain iron, B vitamins, phosphorus, and zinc. I need
two to three servings of protein-rich foods each day for a total of three to four
ounces per day. A serving is one to two ounces of lean meat, poultry, or fish. One
egg or one-fourth to one-half cup cooked, dried beans also counts as one serving.
I will probably like meats and eggs moist rather than dry and hard.
Fats, oils, and sweets
If I am less than two years old, I should not have my dietary fat restricted.
My rapid growth requires a higher percentage of calories from fat, and I need the
fat for proper mental and nervous system development. After I reach two years of
age, you can set the stage for healthy eating by offering me foods containing fats
and oils sparingly.
Picky Eaters [ Top]
If I am like most toddlers and preschoolers, I will go through phases of picky
eating. One day I may love spaghetti, and the next I may proclaim that I hate spaghetti
sauce. It is important to honor my food preferences as you would another adult's.
When preparing meals, always try to include one food that you know I like. Put a
small amount of each food on my plate. If I don't want to eat a particular food,
don't make an issue of it. Tell me that I can eat the foods I like. If you give me
rice, chicken, peas, and applesauce for dinner, and I eat all the applesauce and
ask for more, give me more applesauce without making me eat everything else on my
plate. However, don't get into the habit of becoming my personal short-order cook.
If you keep my preferences in mind when you prepare the meal, as you would for another
adult, that's enough.
Some children refuse to eat certain groups of food. If I will not eat any vegetables,
for example, you may need to find nutritious substitutes to make sure I get all the
necessary nutrients. In this case, substitute fruits for the vegetables. However,
if I don't like to drink milk and refuse to eat all fruits, substitute cheese and
yogurt for the milk, and offer vegetables and fruit juices for the fruits. Or if
I don't like meat, offer me poultry, fish, eggs, dried beans, and tofu as protein
substitutes. Prepare these substitutes as part of the family meal, not as a separate,
special meal for me.
In addition to finding nutritious substitutes, you can increase the appeal of
foods by eating a variety of nutritious foods yourself, letting me help you prepare
the meals, and by making meals fun to eat. If I am two-years-old or older, I can
help you by pouring, stirring, and spreading. Simply watching is a lot of fun for
me if I am younger. You can make meals fun by presenting foods in different shapes.
For example, you might cut sandwiches into squares, rectangles, and triangles. Or
make mouse pancakes with one large and two small circles of batter; for added fun,
decorate the face with small pieces of fruit. To liven up fruits and vegetables,
present them in the shapes of animals, boats, and characters.
If my diet concerns you, reflect over the past three or four days, and think about
all the foods that I have eaten. Most children eat a variety of foods over the course
of several days. As long as I am growing normally and eating a variety of nutritious
foods, I am probably getting adequate nutrients. If I am excluding a whole food group,
identify good nutritional substitutes for the foods I avoid or dislike. You may also
wish to discuss with my doctor the option of giving me a vitamin-mineral supplement.
Choking [ Top]
I am at highest risk for choking on food from birth until three years of age and
I remain at high risk until I am about four years of age. Choking can occur anywhere
and anytime there is food. Avoid offering foods that can cause choking, or modify
them to make them safer. Always supervise
me when I eat and encourage me to sit in an upright position and to eat slowly.
Some foods are easier than others to choke on. A food's potential to cause choking
is often related to its size, shape, and/or consistency.
Size
Some small pieces of food can cause choking by getting into my airway when I try
to swallow food before properly chewing it. Avoid offering me nuts and seeds unless
you finely grind them. Remove all pits and seeds from fruits that you offer me. Also,
take out all bones from fish, chicken, and meat. Large pieces of food may be harder
to chew and are more likely to block the airway if inhaled. Remember to cut my food
into bite-size pieces or thin slices that I can safely and easily chew.
Shape
Round foods can cause choking, because they are more likely to block my airway
completely than other shapes. Cut round foods, such as hot-dogs and carrots, into
short strips rather than round pieces. Cut grapes into quarters. Don't offer me popcorn
and round candies such as gumdrops or sourballs.
Consistency
Foods that are sticky or tough may be hard to remove from my airway. Don't serve
me peanut butter until I am one year old, and then spread it very thinly. Cook tough
foods, such as meats and vegetables, until they are soft enough to pierce with a
fork. Avoid offering me raisins or other dried fruit and candy such as caramel. Foods
that are firm, smooth, or slick may slip down my throat and cause choking. Don't
offer me large pieces of fruit with skin or raw peas. Consistency is another reason
for avoiding grapes, peanuts, hard candy, and products like hot-dogs, unless you
follow the precautions mentioned above.
I may be choking if I cough, make high-pitched noises, cannot speak or cry, and/or
have trouble breathing. If you think I am choking, call the rescue squad (911) right
away. Knowing what to do when I choke could save my life. Contact your local chapter
of the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, or American Red Cross
for pamphlets and classes on preventing and treating choking. The American Red Cross
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course for infants and children includes a lesson
on the emergency techniques for choking.
Appetite [ Top]
By one year of age, I will probably have tripled my birth weight and be half again
my length. Between one and four years of age, growth slows. I will gain an average
of five to six pounds each year during this time. Between one and two years of age,
I will grow about five inches. I will continue to grow about two inches a year between
two and four years of age. As a result of slowing growth, you may notice a decrease
in my appetite. The decrease in appetite may seem contradictory because my activity
level increases. Playing, however, requires less calories than growing.
Even though you plan our meals to provide me with a healthy, well-balanced and tasty
diet, you may find that my appetite varies from day to day and from meal to meal.
Trust my judgment about quantity--don't force me to eat food I don't want after I
indicate that I am finished. Remember that your own appetite varies, depending on
your activity level and your desire for the food offered. Let me determine whether
or not to eat and if so, how much to eat--you may have no real control over this.
You can, however, control what foods to offer me and when and where I eat. If you
offer me food all day long, even in small amounts, I don't have the chance to get
hungry, and may find meals uninteresting.
Feed me primarily at mealtimes with the addition of a small mid-morning and mid-afternoon
snack. Such a pattern is likely to produce a better appetite at mealtime. Some children,
however, need more than two snacks a day. If I won't eat, don't force, coax, or make
an issue of eating. Doing this usually makes matters worse. I will be able to sense
when mealtime is a battleground, and may turn eating into a power game. This, in
turn, can lead to real feeding problems. As my parent, you need to send me the message
that mealtime is pleasant. For at least one meal a day, we should try to eat the
entire meal together.
Encouraging Appropriate Behavior at Mealtime [
Top]
At family mealtimes, remember that I need attention and need to be included in
conversations. As long as I eat my meal and behave, it can be easy for you to engage
in a conversation with someone else and forget to pay attention to me. However, if
I throw my food, bang on the table, or scream, I get a lot of attention. As my parent,
be sure to pay attention to my good behavior, not just my misbehavior. Children are
great at learning that certain behaviors bring immediate attention. If negative behaviors
attract more attention than eating and behaving well, you are likely to experience
more misbehavior then good behavior at mealtime.
If I misbehave at mealtime, ask yourself the following questions to help you determine
the cause of the problem and possible solutions:
First, ask "What happens before the misbehavior?" When answering, you may
discover something that happens before the misbehavior is a contributing factor.
Pinpointing such a factor often makes finding a solution easier.
Next, ask "What do I do after the misbehavior?" and "What do I
do to encourage appropriate behavior?" Sometimes the attention that I receive
after the misbehavior is what encourages the behavior to continue. If you talk to
me more frequently when I kick the table or scream than when I eat, you may inadvertently
encourage the kicking and screaming. Instead, encourage appropriate behavior by talking
with me when I eat and behave. Discourage the kicking and screaming by ignoring it.
As soon as I stop kicking and screaming, provide verbal praise. Ignoring misbehavior
and reinforcing appropriate behaviors is a powerful and effective way of improving
mealtime behavior. However, this technique is not the best choice when the misbehavior
involves throwing food. If you ignore food throwing, it will eventually stop, but
you will be left with a big mess to clean up. Instead, briefly remove my food by
putting my plate on the other side of the table. Wait one minute for every year that
I am old, and then return my plate of food. When you remove my plate, explain very
briefly that I may not throw food. Tell me to sit quietly and that you will give
me my food back in a few minutes. Continue to eat your food during this time; keep
talking with me to a minimum. Otherwise, I may continue to throw food to get attention.
If my behavior becomes worse after you remove my food--for example, I bang on the
table--turn my chair away from the table. Be sure to return the same plate of food
to me. If I throw every piece of food off my plate, refill it with the same or similar
foods, not cookies.
If you find yourself repeatedly removing my plate or turning my chair around,
give me a warning and then end my mealtime. Say, for example, "If you throw
your food again, dinner will be all done. You will leave the table and not eat again
until snack time." Although it will be difficult, follow through with this.
I may complain that I am hungry 20 minutes after I leave the table. If I do, tell
me that I may eat as much as I want at snack time. Then keep reminding yourself that
I won't starve while I wait another hour for snack time. After you do this two or
three times, I will realize you mean business, and the food throwing or other inappropriate
behavior should cease.
Finally, you need to ask yourself, "If my child doesn't eat at mealtime, when
and where do I offer food again and what food do I offer?" Mealtime may be the
place where I make my first declarations of independence by refusing to eat. When
I don't eat at mealtime, avoid allowing me to eat cookies five minutes later while
I watch television. I may not want to eat at mealtime if I can fill up on cookies
later.
Eating as a family becomes easier as I grow older. However, some of the misbehaviors
that occurred when you first introduced me to table foods may reemerge from time
to time. It is not uncommon for misbehaviors to surface whenever a child experiences
a change. Big changes include a move to a new home, the birth of a new baby, and
the separation of parents. Smaller changes include the transition from a highchair
to a booster seat or from a booster seat to a chair. When I experience a change,
I may misbehave to test the boundaries of the new situation. I may also misbehave
to get needed attention. Remember to encourage my positive mealtime behaviors with
love, understanding, and involvement in our family's mealtime conversations. Mealtimes
can be a special time for all of us.
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