Common Problems with Child Nutrition

 Only wants to eat 1 food  Improper nutrition  Limits variety

 Offer variety of foods at each meal  Do not offer the food between meals  Make foods appealing ◦ Color and texture  Don’t force eating ◦ Will eat when hungry

 Don’t force on a child  Frequent exposure  Model good behavior ◦ Children mimic adults

 May “pick” at one meal  Make up for it at the next  Don’t give in! ◦ Discipline issue   

 Essential for energy  Don’t eat a lot at one sitting  Balance out uneven diet  Keep toddlers from becoming cranky  Boost intake of nutrients

 2-3 snacks daily ◦ Mid morning ◦ Mid afternoon ◦ After dinner  Do not bribe with sweets  Small portions

 Decide what’s an appropriate snack  Stick to a snack schedule  Work with a toddler’s independence, not against it

High in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals Avoid prepackaged or processed – High in sugar, salt, fat Simple finger foods – Low sugar cereals – Fresh fruit – Whole grain crackers – Mini muffins – Cheese

 Small portions ◦ ½ c dry cereal ◦ ½ c milk ◦ Banana ◦ 5-6 crackers

 Serve meals and snacks at the same time daily ◦ Routine  Helps maintain a healthy weight ◦ Learns hungry and fullness ques ◦ Graze all day- likely to overeat  Don’t allow to carry around a sugary drink all day

 Offer variety and let them choose  Offer a favorite food with a new food  Let the child know that meals and snacks are available at certain times

 Don’t use sweets as a bribe  Don’t let sweets become a regular snack  Keep sweets out of sight and reach

 Create a menu book of 5 snack ideas for toddlers age 2-5  Develop a creative name for the snack ◦ Example: “Ants on a Log”  Be sure to include the recipe for how to assemble the snack