Picky Eater?

Do you have a picky eater? Tired of trying to force veggies on your meat-loving child? Maybe just out of ideas?

The amount of food a child eats will vary from day to day and meal to meal. It’s normal for a child to eat very well one day, and very little the next. After the first year of life, growth slows down and your child may eat less food. Remember, a relaxed approach to food is the best way to cope with your child’s eating behaviours. Follow the recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide for the types and amounts of food to serve your child. www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide

Strategies to help:

• Feed your child at regularly scheduled meal and snack times (no "grazing" in between).
• Limit juice and milk between meals; offer water for thirst instead.
• Keep portion sizes small. Offer more if they are still hungry after finishing.
• Provide healthy foods and let your child decide whether to eat and how much.
• Trust your child to know how much to eat.
• Children may need to see a new food 15-20 times before they will try it.
• Don’t force or bribe your child to eat. Never use food as a reward or punishment.
• Eat together as a family and model healthy eating.
• Vitamin supplements are usually not necessary, even for picky eaters.

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