Children Healthy Eating Habits

It is very important to take care of your toddler's eating habits. Like any other activity, your toddler's eating habits and food preferences come from learning. Remember the foods that he eats as a toddler form the primary basis for what he eats in the later stages of his life.

Do not compare his eating habits with that of your neighbour's child or his siblings. Some tips towards developing healthy dining habits in your toddler are:

• Do not force your toddler to settle down to a three meals a day routine. Forcing him to do so may create an aversion for eating. If he prefers to snack through his food, offer him a variety of healthy food choices.




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• Start by serving according to his age. For example, if he is one year old, give him just one tablespoon of food initially. You can give him more if he asks, after he empties his plate.
• If you want to give him a snack, ask him if he would prefer an apple or a banana rather than giving him chocolates.
• Restrict liquids to milk, water and fresh fruit juices without sugar. Avoid aerated drinks and those that contain soda.
• Do not criticize your toddler's messy eating habits. He will eventually grow out of it.
• Although your toddler enjoys using his hands to feed himself, encourage him to use his special spoon for special food.
• Do not give the toddler food in any form that can cause choking.
• If your toddler does not show interest in eating at the dining table, serve him last. When he sees other plates full and his own empty, he may begin to feel interested. This approach is called reverse psychology.
• Your toddler may have varying tastes. If she refuses a food once, try the same food another day. She may enjoy it then. However you may want to avoid it or ask her doctor, if she develops an allergy.




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• If your toddler empties her plate fully during a meal, reward her with a hug as a sign of encouragement.
• Do not scold the toddler for not having a clean plate in front of him at the end of a meal. Making sure he eats a variety of food is more important than the quantity of food he eats. This is called mixed diet and ensures she does not miss out on any vital nutrients. For example, milk, yogurt, paneer, spinach, broccoli and nuts are good sources of calcium. Legumes or beans like rajma, chana and lentils like urad dal, toor dal, moong dal and chana dal are all rich sources of protein. Cook them well before giving it to her.
• Do not expect your toddler to finish all that you have prepared for him.
• If your toddler appears to be a slow eater and enjoys experimenting with his food, do not hasten him through the meal. Keep yourself prepared for a long meal time ahead.
• Avoid making special meals for the toddler. Teach him to eat the same food as you eat. But, you can make the food less spicy and need not add salt.
• As a toddler, your little one is sure to find different colours and shapes fascinating. Get him different sets of plates and spoons to make his mealtime exciting.
• Arranging the food in different patterns on the plate is bound to make them interesting for your toddler.
• Give each food a fancy name or better still ask your toddler to name it.
• Keep junk food and fast food for special occasions or label them as food that can be had ”once-in-a-way". These include desserts at the end of a dinner.
• Do not be obsessed with making your toddler gain a specific weight. This will cause you to force-feed him and result in eating becoming a nightmare for him.
• Do not discuss your dieting in front of the toddler. He will not understand what dieting means. But, he can use you as an excuse to avoid different food.
• Never associate food as something that can be used as a reward or a punishment. He will consider this as a way of getting the food he likes or staying away from a food he dislikes.

While you follow the above tips, it is equally important that you be an ideal role model for your toddler. He grows up seeing you as his role model. So, remember to practise what you preach. You must eat healthy yourself and exhibit good dining manners to your toddler. Make it a habit to ensure that the whole family has at least dinner together. This teaches your toddler to finish all that is put on his plate and also pick up good dining table etiquette.

A healthy diet for your toddler must include the below given nutrients in approximately the following quantities.

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