Picky Eaters
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
• Recognize the food groups and state how many servings of each group your child should eat daily.
•Recognize portion/serving sizes.
•Discuss the role of the parent and the child during meal times.
•Know the definition of food jags; identify if your child has a food jag.
•State two ways to get your child to eat vegetables.
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Activity 1:
Name three concerns you have about your child's eating habits.
What can I do about my "picky eater"?
A parent's job is to encourage a child to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods in appropriate amounts. This guidance is not always easy but can be very rewarding as a child grows and develops into a healthy adult. What and how you feed your child can make a tremendous difference. Good nutrition is necessary for body growth, for maintaining or restoring health, and for the brain's and nervous system's growth and functioning. Good nutrition helps a child learn, concentrate, and play with others. Sometimes however, a child may be a "picky eater". If you have a picky eater don't worry, you're not alone! During this lesson we will discuss what your child needs nutritionally to grow and develop and we will also discuss how to cope with your child's picky habits. Have fun and keep an open mind!
"What Foods Should My Child Eat Every Day?"
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FOOD GROUP
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# SERVINGS RECOMMENDED |
SERVING SIZES |
| Milk & Milk Products |
2 - 3 |
*milk & yogurt: 1 cup
cheese: 2 ounce
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| Meat & Meat Alternatives |
2 |
meat, fish, poultry: 1 ounce
eggs: one
peanut butter: 2 TBS
cooked dry beans: 1/2 cup
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| Breads & Cereals |
5 |
bread: 1/2 - 1 slice
pancake: 1/2 - 1
crackers: 2 - 3
cooked rice: 1/4 - 1/2 cup
ready to eat cereal: 1/2 - 3/4 cup
cooked cereal/pasta: 1/4 - 1/2 cup
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| Fruits & Vegetables |
4 - 5 |
raw: 1/2 cup
cooked: 1/4 - 1/2 cup
canned: 1/3 - 1/2 cup
juices: 1/3 - 1/2 cup
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*Children under 2years should drink whole milk because they need the extra fat for growth and development.
*Limit milk to 2 cups (16 ounces) per day. If your child drinks more than 2 cups of milk daily, he/she may get filled up and not want to eat food.
Activity 2:
So, how is your child doing with his/her diet? Think back to yesterday and answer the following:
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Children should have 1 serving of Vitamin C foods every day. These foods include oranges, grapefruits, cantaloupe, 100% Vitamin C juice, broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers, and tomatoes.
Children should have 3 servings of Vitamin A foods per week. These foods include spinach, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, dark leafy lettuce, cantaloupe, and mango.
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Activity 3:
How much juice does your child drink in one day?
** Children should not drink more than 12 ounces of juice in one day. That's about 1 and 1/2 cups. Along with many vitamins, juice also has lots of sugar. If children drink more then 12 ounces of juice daily, they can get filled up and not want to eat food.
Activity 4:
Do you think your child is a "picky eater"?
Here are some tips given by Ellyn Satter to help you with your "picky eater":
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Divide the responsibility for eating.
"Parent's are responsible for what food is offered and where and when it is offered.
Children decide how much to eat or even if they will eat it."
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Offer a variety of food.
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Have structured meals and snacks.
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Offer meals and snacks at the same time daily.
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Make meals worthwhile.
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Eat at the dinner table and make the meal pleasant and light.
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Trust your child to eat well.
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Children have the built-in ability to eat a variety of foods. They will eventually come up with a balanced diet if they are offered healthy, balanced choices.
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Respect eating quirks.
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Your child simply won't understand that a sandwich cut in quarters is the same as one cut in half. He/she may find carrot slices delicious, but carrot strips inedible. Or he/she may eat yogurt enthusiastically today, but reject it tomorrow. All this is normal! You can safely respect your child's wishes without being afraid that you'll spoil or make him/her picky.
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Some Common Concerns
What is a Food Jag?
So, your child wants a peanut butter & jelly sandwich or a bag of popcorn every meal? Welcome to the world of food jags.
The first thing you should know is food jags are normal. Children get in a rut; they want to eat the same foods over and over. The second thing to know is food jags are usually short lived. Just keep offering your child a variety of food and hang in there!
Activity 5:
Does your child currently have a food jag?
My child won't eat vegetables!
If you're like most parents, you worry when your child won't eat vegetables. Here are some tips you can try:
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offer a wide variety of vegetables prepared in different ways, both cooked and raw with a dip |
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have your child help prepare the vegetables |
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encourage your child to try at least one bite |
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remember, it's important to be a good role model so eat your veggies too |
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you can substitute fruits for vegetables until your child learns to eat vegetables - fruits have lots of the same vitamins and minerals as vegetables |
Some Points To Remember:
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A children's multivitamin is sometimes a good idea, just ask your pediatrician if your child should be taking one.
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Don't give your child nutrition supplement drinks like Pediasure or Pedialyte unless they are prescribed by your pediatrician.
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Ask your WIC counselor to show you your child's growth grid so that you will know if your child is growing normally.
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Here are some books on eating habits you can read to your children:
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Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban, Harper & Row, 1964.
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Green Eggs & Ham, by Dr. Suess, Random House, 1960.
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Activity 6: Lets Review
1. Click on the correct answer that completes the sentence.
You are responsible for _______ your child is offered to eat, _______ and _______ it is presented.
Your child is responsible for __________ he/she eats and even ___________ he/she eats at all.
2. How many servings of fruit and vegetables should your child have daily?
3. Name two ways to try to get your child to eat vegetables.
4. Name three changes you can make to help your child eat a balanced, healthy diet.
Answers:
1.) what, where, when
how much, whether
2.) 4 - 5
3.) answers will vary
4.) answers will vary
For more information on healthy eating for children please visit Ellyn Satter
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Revised: 06-13-2008
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