Toddler eating habits

Fun Mealtimes With Toddlers

Fun Mealtimes With Toddlers

• Try to keep meal times calm and pleasant unworried. Do this by having meals, whenever possible, when your child is hungry.
• Serve food attractively. You can do this simply by keeping everything separate on the plate. Toddlers often dislike mixtures so arrange food in a face, a house or a pattern!
• Don't worry too much if your toddler won't eat a specially prepared meal - they will eat when hungry and you can use healthy 'short cut' foods which don't need much preparation like baked beans on toast, fruit or simple salads. Ask other parents and health professionals for suggestions.
• Use healthy 'nibble' foods between mealtimes like carrot and celery sticks, fruit pieces and cheese. These snacks should not fill them up too much for main mealtimes.
• Making an issue of how much they eat usually doesn't work - their idea of enough is sometimes different from yours. Don't bribe or force them to eat. It is important they learn how to stop eating when they have had enough.
• Set a good example with:
  • the types of food eaten
  • family table manners
  • your enjoyment of food
  • happy, sharing mealtimes with all the family.

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Department for Community Devlp, Australia.

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