Read: 1020
Creating Healthy Eating Habits for Kids Ages 2-8
By Madyson Dachelet February 13, 2023
Terri Kolb Health and Well-Being Educator University of Wisconsin Madison-Division of Extension Forest and Oneida County
Feeding young children can be challenging due to common picky eating behaviors. Childhood is crucial for developing lifelong eating patterns that impact health, growth, development, and the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases. A recent study by Healthy Eating Research highlights the importance of not just what we feed our kids but also how we handle feeding practices.
It has been found that exposure frequency significantly influences children's food preferences10-15 exposures are often necessary for a child to develop an acceptance for new foods.
Guidelines from this research include:
Exposure to New Foods: Offer familiar flavors with new foods like vegetables, dips or dressings, or season them in ways that appeal to kids' tastes.
Start Small: Introduce small portions of new food items. Encouraging the tasting process minimizes wastage and avoids food waste.
Engagement During Meals: Involving children in meal preparation fosters familiarity with foods through exploration, which can precede acceptance.
Sensory Engagement: Allow kids to touch and smell their food as it stimulates interest and improves comfort around new foods.
First Courses: Presenting vegetables as an appetizer encourages healthy eating when hunger is high and reduces competing food distractions at meal times.
Positive Reinforcement: Prse willingness to try rather than focusing on trts like good boy or rewarding with food items, which can set expectations for future emotional reliance on food.
Here are tips on avoiding common pitfalls:
Do not pressure kids into eating; focus on encouraging through the strategies mentioned above.
food as a reward or emotional comfort. Instead, offer non-food incentives that promote healthy habits food rewards.
Thoughtful ideas for non-food rewards:
Verbal prse upon trying new foods
Reward stickers
Select items from a prize box of affordable trinkets or party favors
Play their favorite games
To minimize food waste:
Begin with small portions to gauge interest before preparing more.
Utilize frozen vegetables which offer the opportunity for small amounts to be prepared and served at various meal times, reducing spoilage.
For further inquiries about health and well-being programs in Forest County or any other topic related to Extension services, contact Terri Kolb via eml: [email protected] or call 715478-2212.
Discover more about the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension through our website at https:forest.extension.wisc.edu or by calling 715478-7797.
Categorized under: FoodWIse Agriculture Community Development Health Well-being Families Finances Natural Resources Positive Youth Development University of Wisconsin-Madison
Connect with us to support Extension initiatives.
Feedback, questions or accessibility concerns: [email protected] The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System's Privacy Policy and Non-Discrimination Policy.
This article is reproduced from: https://forest.extension.wisc.edu/2023/02/13/creating-healthy-eating-habits-for-kids-2-8/
Please indicate when reprinting from: https://www.903r.com/Healthy_Baby/Healthy_Eating_Habits_for_Kids_2-8.html
Encouraging Healthy Eating in Kids 2 8 Exposure Frequency for Food Acceptance Feeding Practices for Picky Eaters New Foods Introduction Strategies Avoiding Common Feeding Pitfalls Managing Food Waste during Meals