Serve healthy options to picky eaters
Parents shouldn’t battle with picky eaters — just serve up healthy options and let kids decide how much they want to eat
Feeding children can be a rollercoaster ride. Some days, they eat most of what you serve.
Other days, they consume very little.
Remember, the end goal isn’t to get as many healthy foods as possible into your child, or to keep the sugars away. It’s to raise children who understand their hunger cues and respond appropriately, know how to eat in moderation, and trust their instincts.
The best way to do this is to maintain the division of responsibility proposed by author and therapist Ellyn Satter.
She thinks parents are responsible for what food is put on the table, when meals and snacks are served, and where children eat. Children are responsible for how much they eat — and whether they eat at all.
Mealtimes should be positive, not a battle. Your relationship with your child is more important than what the child eats for dinner one night.
This means that, when they say they aren’t hungry, you shouldn’t force them to eat. Conversely, if your child is markedly hungry, offer that plate of chicken.
But many parents still wonder how much a child should eat at each age, and when a parent should worry. Following are some helpful, but not rigid, guidelines.
TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS
A toddler should eat something like this daily:
■ 2 servings of fruit
■ 3 servings of vegetables
■ 6 servings of whole grains
■ 2 to 3 servings of dairy (if your child doesn’t eat dairy, substitute calcium-rich beans, legumes and greens)
■ 2 servings (5 ounces/142 grams) of protein (eggs, beans, chicken, fish, meat)
Try not to focus on a young child’s daily diet. They may test their control over you by not eating anything you serve.
Find comfort in what she eats over the course of a week. Is it varied and balanced among food groups? If so, there’s no need to worry.
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
Kids this age often eat four or five times a day. Snacks should provide nutrients. School-age kids are often so busy they forget to drink water, so send them everywhere with a water bottle.
Also, get them in the kitchen to help prep; learning to cook will help them eat well in the long run.
Children ages 7 to 12 should eat the following in a day:
■ 3 servings of fruit
■ 4 servings of vegetables
■ 9 servings of whole grains
■ 2 to 3 servings of dairy or calcium-rich substitute
■ 2 servings (6 ounces/170 g) of protein
TEENS
After infancy, adolescence is the most critical time for nutritious eating. A child’s body is growing and changing dramatically.
Parents should limit sugar at home, as teens are probably getting enough elsewhere, and keep healthful food accessible so kids can grab it as they go.
Though it’s a challenge, this is an especially important time to prioritize family dinner, both for the nutrition and for the conversations.
Teen girls should follow the guidelines for school-age children while teen boys, especially active ones, should strive to eat the following in a day:
■ 4 servings of fruit
■ 5 servings of vegetables
■ 11 servings of whole grains
■ 2 to 3 servings of dairy or calcium-rich substitute
■ 3 servings (7 ounces/198 g) of protein
CHILDREN WHO DON’T SEEM TO EAT ENOUGH
Don’t give them milkshakes and french fries thinking any calorie is better than no calorie. Healthy growth is about obtaining the right nutrients.
Include healthful, plant-based fats such as flaxseed oil, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, avocados and olives. Cook pasta in chicken broth for added nutrition, and offer a bedtime snack.
Eat with your child often, as children tend to develop better eating when they watch parents with healthy eating habits.
CHILDREN WHO SEEM TO EAT TOO MUCH
Take a step back and evaluate the following: Is your child in a growth spurt? The greatest periods of growth are the first year and adolescence.
Is he skipping meals and thus overly hungry at dinner? Stick to a regular meal structure and offer nutrient-rich snacks.
Is she exercising a lot? If your child has sports practices during her usual dinner hour, feed her before she plays.
There is nothing wrong with a 4 p.m. dinner and a snack after the game.
Is he drawn to junk food? This may be because he sees advertisements for processed food or perhaps his friends make certain foods accessible.
My boys had never been to a certain fast-food restaurant until their friends took them, and now it’s a deeply desired destination. Avoid being overly restrictive so kids don’t feel deprived and then overeat because they don’t trust that they’ll get these foods again.
If you think your child is eating out of boredom, set meal and snack times.
If you think your child is managing unhappy emotions with food, talk to them about their feelings.