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Mealtime Basics

Family
Feeding and Nutrition Preschoolers

Developing healthy eating habits

Your child is growing, which means what they eat and how much they are eating are also changing. Parents can help children develop healthy eating habits with just a few parenting strategies. Check out our tips on mealtime basics, including making mealtime fun and dealing with picky eaters!

AAP Recommendations

Baby-led weaning

Infant Feeding

In the first year of your baby’s life, your baby will eat a variety of things. These foods will support your baby’s growth and development. Until six months of age, your baby will consume only breastmilk and/or formula. Typically, breastfed babies eat about 12 times a day and formula fed infants eat 6-10 times per day. Around six months of age, you can start introducing some solid foods.
Read More
What should my child be eating?

Toddlers and Preschoolers

Keep things simple and do not over stress. Children will eat what they need if your provide them healthy options daily. The toddler and preschool years are full of exploring and discovery - the best thing you can do is offer your child a variety of foods from each food group with different tastes, textures, and colors.

How much?

The amount of food your child needs depends on a variety of factors, including age, sex, and physical activity level. Use the MyPlate Plan as a general guide to how much they should eat from each food group every day.

As the parent, your job is to decide what foods are offered and when and where your child eats them. Let your child decide which of the foods offered they will eat and how much to eat.

Don’t overfeed. You shouldn’t force children to finish meals if they aren’t hungry as they often vary calorie intake from meal to meal. Consult your pediatrician for your child’s specific caloric needs.

How often?

Young children need to eat more frequently than adults so they have the energy and fuel to play, run, and climb. Once a child is self-feeding solids, usually around eight to ten months old, they typically need three meals and two snacks per day. This remains fairly consistent through adolescence, with the addition of a third evening snack for highly active school-agers.

You will likely want to feed your child before they get “hangry”, but a general rule of thumb is to offer a meal or snack every two to three hours. A typical feeding schedule or routine might look like:

  • 7:00 a.m. –  Breakfast
  • 9:00 a.m. – Snack
  • 11:30 a.m. –  Lunch (followed by rest or nap for those who need it)
  • 2:20 p.m. – Snack (after rest for napping children)
  • 4:30 p.m. Optional evening snack, if needed
  • 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Dinner

Foods to avoid

When it comes to feeding children, there really aren’t any “off limits” foods. Honey is the only no-no before one, but other than that, it is fair game!

While most foods are safe for young children, how you prepare them matters. Keep in mind the following:

  • Cut up foods that pose a choking risk, including whole grapes, large pieces of meats, hot dogs, raw carrots, etc. Choose frozen or fresh cubed and shredded veggie options to reduce the possibility of choking (and make your job easier!).
  • For children under three, avoid hard candy and cough drops, raw nuts and seeds, popcorn, chips, and hard pretzels.
  • Limit foods that are high in salt, sugar, and fat, including processed foods.

High-allergen foods

Unless there is a family history of food allergies, you can introduce any foods (other than honey) to children under one. Talk with your pediatrician if you have concerns around food allergies. While a child could be allergic to any food, these eight common allergens account for 90% of all reactions in kids:

  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Fish
  • Shellfish
  • Tree Nuts
  • Peanuts
  • Wheat
  • Soybeans

Picky eaters

Eating is not ours to control! Continue to offer healthy options at every meal. It may take trying a new food 10 times before they like it. Never force your child to eat a food he or she doesn’t like. Offer multiple choices, so that he or she can choose something they don’t like. It is not uncommon for toddlers to eat most of their calories at one meal – they will get what they need in a 24-hour period!

Culturally-responsive feeding practices

Many factors shape caregivers’ beliefs and practices about feeding, and it is important to remember that caregivers of different cultures follow different food-related beliefs. The first step in using culturally-responsive feeding practices is to recognize one’s own cultural beliefs regarding feeding.

In the link below, you will find resources and tips on topics including:

  • Increasing your knowledge about culturally-responsive feeding practices
  • Using culturally-responsive language with children
  • Eating family style
  • Identifying healthy alternatives to accommodate cultural preferences
  • And more!

Learn More

Upcoming Workshop - Auto-abogacía: La Comida

October 25th, 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. En este taller, usted aprenderá preguntas útiles para hacerle a su cuidado infantil sobre sus políticas de comida para asegurarse de que su hijo/a coma comidas culturalmente sensible y que tenga lo que necesita.
Regístrese
Tips and Tricks

Helpful feeding tips

Feeding and mealtimes do not have to be stressful! Check out these tips and tricks to reduce the stress, cut down on time, and enjoy mealtime together!

  • Make mealtimes fun and remove the pressure from eating. Throw out the “clean plate club” mentality!

  • Use kitchen scissors (instead of a knife) to cut up your child’s food.

  • Set a good example of healthy eating for your child by eating a variety of foods, or at least putting them on your plate, even if you know you won’t eat them!

  • Deconstruct your adult meal. Some children would rather eat all the components of a meal separate rather than touching or together. For example, place all the ingredients of a taco separately on their plate instead of inside a shell.

  • Don’t use food as a reward or punishment.When we use food, especially during mealtimes, as a reward or punishment, it can create power struggles and negative associations with food.

Diving Deeper

Rethinking the "Clean Plate Club"

Healthy Habits

Forcing kids to overeat teaches them to ignore their bodies' signals that they've had enough. This can set them up for a lifetime of eating when not hungry.
Learn More

Dessert

Put dessert directly onto the plate with the rest of the dinner from the get-go. Call it reverse psychology or completely absurd, but it works. And the nutrition experts are totally on board.
Learn More

Grandparents

A lot has changed regarding feeding and nutrition in the last 30 years. Learn more about talking to grandparents about how you choose to nurture your child's healthy eating habits.
Learn More
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Featured Video

Toddler Feeding Hacks

Your toddler isn’t a baby anymore and their feeding needs have changed. They may begin having preferences and demands and start preferring one food over the other. From serving size to how small to cut their food, we have you covered with the top toddler feeding hacks to make mealtime a breeze!

picky eater
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The Hot Dog Kid: 10 tips for picky eaters

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Involving Children With Food

familia activa
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Un Recurso en Nuestra Comunidad para Mantener a su Familia Activa y Saludable

Featured Resource

Toddler Mealtime Basics

Check out our mealtime and feeding tips for toddlers!
Read More Download View in Spanish

Easy Meal Ideas

Tired of the dinnertime battle? Check out these dinner ideas from Taste of Home that will please little ones and parents alike.
Family Friendly Meal Ideas

Healthy muffin recipes

Filled with fruits, veggies, oats, whole grains, and healthy fats, these muffin recipes for little ones are as healthy as they are tasty! These recipes are great as they are, or you can easily adjust them. Try subbing apple for carrot, adding spices and fresh herbs, and pairing with a fun sauce or dip.

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Easy family meal ideas

Looking for easy meals or snacks for kids? These creative snack ideas are perfect to pack in school lunches or munch on at home.

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Featured Resource

School Lunch Cheat Sheet

Packing school lunches has never been easier! Put together a no-fuss lunch using our simple formula: Protein + Carb + Fruit/Veggie + Treat
Read More Download
school lunch cheat sheet
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Featured Video

Back to School: Top Hacks for Packing Lunches

Packing lunches for your back-to-schoolers is no easy task. It takes time and planning. Plus, every parent knows that just because you pack it, doesn’t guarantee your kids will actually eat it. Join us as we share some low-stress hacks for packing healthy meals.

Related News & Stories

Read more from our team of experts.

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November 15, 2020
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March 16, 2018
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January 23, 2017
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Dealing with a picky eater

May 5, 2015
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November 21, 2016
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Breastfeeding Basics

June 29, 2021
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