Nutrition for the Preschooler

The preschool years are an important time for developing healthy habits for life. From 2 to 5 years old, children grow and develop in ways that affect behavior in all areas, including eating. The timing of these milestones may vary with each child. It’s important for preschoolers to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy and fortified soy alternatives. Choose options for meals, beverages, and snacks that have limited added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

Your child may eat only a certain type of food or refuse foods based on a certain color or texture. He or she may also play at the table and may not want to eat. Don’t worry if your child has some picky eating behaviors. Picky eating behavior is common for many children from the age of 2 to 5 years. As long as your child is growing as the doctor suggests, he or she is most likely eating enough to be healthy. If you have concerns about your child’s growth or eating behavior, talk to your child’s doctor.

As the caregiver, you play the biggest role in your child’s eating behavior. What you say has an impact on developing healthy eating habits. Negative phrases can easily be changed into positive, helpful ones!

Offering some foods, like dessert, in reward for finishing others, like vegetables, makes some foods seem better than others. Getting a food treat when upset teaches your child to eat to feel better. is can lead to overeating. “We can try these vegetables again another time. Next time would you like to try them raw instead of cooked? I am sorry you are sad. Come here and let me give you a big hug.”

Your child knows if they are hungry or full. Let them stop eating when they have had enough. Don’t force them to eat or “clean your plate.” Your child likes to make some choices, so offer health meals and snacks and let your child choose which ones to eat. You don’t need to worry if your child doesn’t eat a meal or snack. Your child will eat more on some days than on others. Don’t beg your child to eat or fix other foods for them. Don’t let your child eat unhealthy foods between meals.

Have your toddler sit at a table for meals and snacks and not wander around with food in their mouth.

Foods such as hot dogs, candy, nuts and seeds, raw carrots, grapes, popcorn, and chunks of peanut butter can be choking risks. You can help reduce children’s risk of choking when eating by preparing food in certain ways, such as cutting food into small pieces and cooking hard food, like carrots, until it is soft enough to pierce with a fork. Remember, always supervise children during meals and snacks.

There are many tips available for parents and caregivers on what and how to feed their toddler. And just like the MyPlate.gov website and the Start Simple with MyPlate app, all of the information provided by MyPlate on Alexa is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.

References

1. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory

Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary Health and Human Services and the Secretary of

Agriculture. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2015.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, August 5). Childhood nutrition facts. Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/facts.htm

3. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Retrieved December 20, 2022,

from https://www.fns.usda.gov/