Build Healthy Mealtime Habits for Your Child

Young children love to copy what their parents do. They mimic your table manners, your willingness to try new foods and your preferences. Take a break from the TV or phone and build healthy mealtime habits together:

1. Plan meals and snacks. Make time for three meals and one or two snacks every day. Offer choices from each food group – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and protein foods – throughout the day so your pre-schooler gets the nutrition he or she needs.
2. Make meals enjoyable. Eat meals with your children whenever possible. Let them help you prepare the meal. Make conversation about something that made them laugh. Keep mealtime upbeat and stress free.
3. Try to get two food groups in a snack. Pair sliced tomato with low-fat cheese or add nut butter to a 100 per cent whole-wheat mini bagel.
4. Keep things positive. Talk about the colour, feel or flavour of foods so they sound appealing to your child. Discourage others from making negative comments about foods during meals.
5. Develop taste buds. When young children develop a taste for many foods, it's easier to plan meals. Keep in mind that it may take a dozen tries for a child to accept a new food.
6. Visit the market. Shopping can teach your young child about food and healthy eating – talk about where foods come from and how they grow.
7. Let children practice serving themselves. Include smaller cuts of fish or meat, and offer small serving utensils so they get just enough during meals. Encourage them to ask for more if they are still hungry.
8. Beverages are important, too. Water helps to quench your pre-schooler's thirst, and milk provides nutrients for growth. Offer water or fat-free or low-fat milk as beverage choices instead of sugary drinks.
9. Help them know when they are full. Encourage your child to stop eating when he or she is full rather than when the plate is clean. When your child is not interested in the meal, excuse him or her from the table.
10. Reward with attention, not treats. Rewarding children with sweet desserts or snacks may encourage them to think that treats are better than other foods. Comfort and reward with care and praise, not food.

Reference:
Choose My Plate, Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Updated 2015, 17 July). Build healthy mealtime habits: 10 tips for preschoolers. Retrieved 17 August 2015 from www.choosemyplate.gov