Feeding ChildrenFeeding Children

Tip #1Tip #1

To boost good To boost good nutrition, include nutrition, include foods from at foods from at least two food least two food groups at snack groups at snack time. Like a time. Like a smoothie with smoothie with yogurt and yogurt and strawberries.strawberries.

Tip #2Tip #2

Serving snacks about two to three Serving snacks about two to three hours before mealtime is a good hours before mealtime is a good guideline.guideline.

Tip #3Tip #3 Older kids often feel hungry Older kids often feel hungry

when they get home from when they get home from school. Stock up on fixings school. Stock up on fixings for quick-to-make snacks, for quick-to-make snacks, like fruit, FIG NEWTONS, like fruit, FIG NEWTONS, bagels, bread, tortillas, bagels, bread, tortillas, cheese, peanut butter and cheese, peanut butter and ready-to-eat raw veggies. ready-to-eat raw veggies.

When you cook, make When you cook, make extra servings to freeze in extra servings to freeze in sealable plastic containers. sealable plastic containers. These individual portions These individual portions are quick to heat up for are quick to heat up for kids who get home late kids who get home late from after-school sports or from after-school sports or activities.activities.

Tip #4Tip #4 Remember snack safety. Remember snack safety. Seat and supervise young Seat and supervise young

children during snack time. children during snack time. Cut foods such as hot dogs, Cut foods such as hot dogs,

meat, grapes, raw fruits and meat, grapes, raw fruits and vegetables, and cheese vegetables, and cheese cubes, into small bite-size cubes, into small bite-size pieces and encourage pieces and encourage children to chew foods well. children to chew foods well.

Avoid serving small, hard Avoid serving small, hard foods, such as nuts (that foods, such as nuts (that may cause choking if may cause choking if swallowed whole) to swallowed whole) to children under 6 years of children under 6 years of age.age.

Tip #5Tip #5

Make time for Make time for breakfast, even if breakfast, even if it means waking it means waking your child 15 your child 15 minutes earlier. minutes earlier. Breakfast is the Breakfast is the best time for milk best time for milk and fiber.and fiber.

Tip #6Tip #6 Add vegetables to Add vegetables to

favorite quick meals. favorite quick meals. Top pizza with Top pizza with

vegetables.vegetables. Stir mixed vegetables Stir mixed vegetables

into pasta sauce. into pasta sauce. Offer veggies with dip. Offer veggies with dip.

Tip #7Tip #7

Encourage physical activities your Encourage physical activities your children enjoy.children enjoy.

Tip #8Tip #8

Help your child develop a healthy, realistic Help your child develop a healthy, realistic body image that’s not too thin or too body image that’s not too thin or too muscular. Encourage sensible, balanced muscular. Encourage sensible, balanced eating and activity.eating and activity.

Tip #9Tip #9

Sit down with Sit down with your child at your child at meal and meal and snack times snack times and be a and be a positive role positive role model for model for healthy healthy eating.eating.

Tip #10Tip #10

At mealtime, At mealtime, serve at least serve at least one healthy one healthy food that you food that you know your little know your little one loves.one loves.

Tip #11Tip #11

Let your child decide Let your child decide how much to eat. how much to eat.

This encourages them This encourages them to listen to their own to listen to their own body cues and choose body cues and choose amounts that are amounts that are “just right” for them. “just right” for them.

Give them time to eat Give them time to eat so they can tune into so they can tune into these signals.these signals.

Tip #12Tip #12

Try, try again. . . When Try, try again. . . When you’re introducing new you’re introducing new foods. Some children foods. Some children have to see a new food have to see a new food up to 10 times before up to 10 times before they feel brave enough they feel brave enough to try it. Be sure they to try it. Be sure they see you enjoying the see you enjoying the food, since many kids food, since many kids want to be like their want to be like their parents.parents.

Tip #13Tip #13

Don’t coax or beg your Don’t coax or beg your child to eat. Eating (or child to eat. Eating (or not eating) is one of the not eating) is one of the few things that young few things that young kids can control. The kids can control. The more you push, the more you push, the more your child may more your child may push back by refusing to push back by refusing to eat. Simply offer foods eat. Simply offer foods at meals and snack at meals and snack times.times.

Tip #14Tip #14

Decide what to serve, Decide what to serve, and stick with your and stick with your decision, even if your decision, even if your child begs for child begs for something else. something else.

If you start making If you start making other foods on other foods on demand, your child demand, your child might expect you to might expect you to be a short order cook be a short order cook at every meal.at every meal.

Tip #15Tip #15

Start by serving Start by serving them small portions them small portions at meals and at meals and snacks and let snacks and let them ask for more. them ask for more. By four years of By four years of age, most children age, most children are ready for are ready for regular-size regular-size portions.portions.

2 year-old2 year-old 5 year-old5 year-old 10 year old10 year old

Food Food Groups:Groups:

1,000 1,000 CaloriesCalories

1,400 1,400 CaloriesCalories

1,800 1,800 CaloriesCalories

FruitsFruits 1 cup1 cup 1.5 cups1.5 cups 1.5 cups1.5 cups

VegetablesVegetables 1 cup1 cup 1.5 cups1.5 cups 2.5 cups2.5 cups

GrainsGrains 3 oz.3 oz. 5 oz.5 oz. 6 oz.6 oz.

Meat Meat 2 oz.2 oz. 4 oz.4 oz. 5 oz.5 oz.

MilkMilk 2 cups2 cups 2 cups2 cups 3 cups3 cups

OilOil 3 tsp.3 tsp. 4 tsp.4 tsp. 5 tsp.5 tsp.