- Encourage good eating habits and serve 4 to 6 nutritious meals a day.
- Make meal times fun and enjoyable: Cut food into cute shapes and give them names of cartoon character your child can relate to.
- Present a few healthy food items to your child and let him choose which ones, and how much. In this way, he will feel in control, but you will accomplish your goal of getting him to eat healthfully without any fuss.
- Eat with your child and let her try new foods from your plate as she may think that your food tastes better than hers. You can entice her to eat by putting her food on your plate.
- Ensure that the snacks your child consumes are nutritious most of the times.
- Schedule fun activities before and not after mealtimes. This way child is more attentive during meals and will not rush through meals.
Prevent choking by making sure that an adult is present whenever your child is eating.
Avoid these food and non-food items:
Food:
- Small, hard foods e.g. whole nuts, seeds, pieces of dried fruits, popcorn, raw carrot and raisins.
- Slippery foods, e.g. whole grapes, candy, large pieces of meat.
- Sticky foods, e.g. peanut butter, which if offered from a spoon, may get stuck in your child’s throat and cause difficulty in breathing. Instead, offer it as a thin spread on small piece of bread.
Nonfood
- Coin
- Pen tops
- Balloons
- Small balls and marbles
