Toddlers and preschoolers like to play and often forget to eat unless they are really hungry. In addition, most of them are picky eaters and not willing to try new foods. Feeding them can be a challenge to parents. But parents should not worry too much and force child to eat when the child is not hungry. As long as they are active, healthy, growing and developing normally, they probably have plenty to eat. Parents should feed children a variety of food and balance the food they eat with physical activity. Ideally, children diet should be low in fat and contain moderate in sugars and salts.
To start a healthy eating behavior, parents should apply the food guide pyramid to kids; just the serving size is smaller (wholesometoddlerfood.com).
The food guide pyramid for young children
Grain group: 6 servings, such as 1 slice of bread, ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta, ½ cup of cooked cereal, and 1 ounce of ready to eat cereal.
Vegetable group: 3 servings, such as ½ cup of chopped or raw vegetables, or 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables.
Fruit group: 2 servings, 1 piece of fruit or melon wedge, ¾ cup of 100% fruit juice, ½ cup of canned fruit, or ¼ cup of dried fruit.
Milk group: 2 servings, 1cup of milk or yogurt, or 2 ounces of cheese.
Meat group: 2 servings, such as 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish, ½ cup of cooked dry beans.
Fats and oil: no more than 30% of the diet should come from fats. Limit saturated fats to no more than 10% of daily calories.
Sweets and pure sugars: limit sweets and intake of pure sugars. Sugar does a lot of harm to our bodies and it is a good thing to keep them away from the little ones. The average American consumes 2-3 pounds of sugar each week which is an astounding amount. Many diseases can be linked to the high intake of pure sugars. Children are born to be attracted to candy. It is no fun to take all the candies away from them, but we can limit sweets and culture their appetites for other good food. Fresh fruits and moderate amount of juice are good alternatives.
