Feeding Children

Children need a variety of food for growth and good health! Serve a variety of foods everyday for adequate nutrients Follow the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Encourage healthy choices Balance diet with physical activity to stay healthy

Follow the 2010 Dietary Guidelines: Make half your grains whole Concentrate on calcium Vary your veggies Focus on fruit Go lean with protein Limit the fats Don’t sugar coat

Teaching Healthy Eating Serve healthy foods Let your child help with food shopping and cooking Make healthy choices in restaurants Serve meals and snacks at the same time each day Be a good role model Limit the amount of fast food

Introducing New Foods Serve your child’s favorite food along with new foods Encourage “hello bites”; it may take seven attempts to gain acceptance of a new food Continue to serve small portions of the new food Be a good role model

Choosy Eaters Do not label a child as “picky” Periods of strong preferences for a few foods are normal for most children Some children react more to texture, smell or taste than others Continue to offer foods from the other food groups Relax… Do not add to the issue by begging, insisting or forcing other foods

Making Meals Fun Eat meals together as a family Sit at the table and turn off the TV Use your child’s favorite plate, cup, bowl, spoon and fork Do not use food to reward, bribe, or punish your child

Children who eat breakfast: Learn or play better than children who do not eat breakfast Make fewer errors in school Are more likely to get the nutrients they need Are more likely to have normal cholesterol levels than children who do not eat breakfast Breakfast-the most important meal!

Include Snacks Serve 2-3 snacks per day for needed calories Snacks should follow 2010 Dietary Guidelines Serve whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables Include low fat dairy snacks Provide child size servings

Balancing Food and Physical Activity Encourage healthy food choices Limit “junk” foods Eat snacks and meals at regular times Encourage more physical activity Provide child-size servings Do not make children clean their plates Discuss health, not weight Help children accept their bodies

Remember Your Jobs Parents should: Offer healthy choices Encourage the family to sit at a table Make mealtime fun Set a regular mealtime Skip the urge to reward, punish or appease children with food

Questions Reference: United States Department of Agriculture 2010 Dietary Guidelines, September, 2012 Graphics: Microsoft Word, United States Department of Agriculture Jackie Walters, MBA, RD, LD Extension Specialist for Nutrition Education Programs November 2012 Copyright © 2003, 2012, for materials developed by University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyright notice. Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.