Encouraging toddlers to eat

Toddlers have small stomachs so they do not need large servings of food.

• Provide a range of nutritious food.
• Offer small meals and healthy snacks at regulartimes during the day.
• It is better not to have unhealthy snack foods (especiallysnacks like biscuits, soft drinks and sweets) in thehouse. This will prevent your toddler being tempted.
• Avoid cordials and too much fruit juice as these are highin sugar and take away the appetite for other foods.
• Allow your child to help prepare the meal. It takeslonger but encourages interest in the food.
• Keep mealtime serves of food small and allow yourchild to ask for more.
• Don’t use dessert as a bribe to eat the rest of themeal. This makes dessert too special. If you do have desserts make sure they are nutritious such as fruit or milk puddings. Give small serves.
• Offer your child a choice of foods sometimes.
• For a treat you can sometimes make the meal into a picture, such as a potato face with pieces of vegetable for the eyes, nose and mouth.
• Remove uneaten food without comment.
• Having a friend over for a meal often encourages toddlers to eat.
• Sometimes vary where you serve the food, for example at your toddler’s own table in the playhouse, a picnic in the garden, or serve a meal where the food is put on plates in the centre of the table and everyone helps themselves.
• Sometimes it is possible for toddlers to help grow vegetables in a window box or small area of the garden.
• Give your toddler the main part of their evening meal early (around 4.30) so they are not too tired to eat.
• They can still have a small portion of dessert with thefamily later if you like to eat together.
• A cold meal such as meat, bread and fruit or salad is equally nutritious. Raw, grated vegetables are just as healthy
  as cooked. Or you could freeze part of the evening meal from the day before and reheat it for your toddler.
• Do not ever try to force your toddler to eat. It can cause choking. Adults would not like to be forced to eat food they don’t like.
• Keep a relaxed eating environment and leave the eating up to your toddler.