Healthy Eating

Many young children are picky eaters who prefer to eat simple, familiar goods-at home and in child care. Picky eaters are common in ages 2-5, this is also an important time that shapes lifelong eating habits.Responding to a picky eater in a positive way helps children move through this phase a lot faster. Here are some helpful tips:

• Serve wisely-introducing one new food at a time with a well loved food with the new food.
• Get everyone involved-involve children in preparing meals and snacks.
• Talk about it-teach children where the food they're eating comes from, how it is made and how it is grown.
• Make food fun-cut a new food into fun and easy shapes with cookie cutters. Even naming a food that the child helped create is fun for them.

Remember, children learn from watching the adults around them. Your healthy eating will help develop healthy eating for them too!