Children feel better when they eat well. It is important that preschoolers and kindergarteners eat the same food as the rest of the family. Parents should offer food with nutritional value . Its the child’s job to decide when he or she is hungry and how much food to eat when offered.

Great tips for parents

• Offer your child a range of healthy food :  When children eat a variety of food,  they get a balance of vitamins they need to grow. Healthy option include
  • • fruits
    • vegetables
    • low fat  products such as milk , yogurt and cheese
    • lean protein  such as beans, turkey, fish, tofu, eggs and lean burger
    • dairy substitutes
    • whole grain cereal and bread
• Offer food at regular meal time and sit together : Serve foods at regular meal and snack times. Try not to offer food in between the eating times. Children who are eating throughout the day may not be hungry when healthier food is presented.
• Don’t expect the child to clean the plate : Serve portions appropriate for the child but don’t always expect the child to finish the food. Its even better when you let the child choose their own portions.  It is important at this age for the child to know when they are full.
• Reduce the amount of sugary drinks and processed foods :  It is essential to limit processed foods in the house and reduce the intake of fast foods. Sugary drinks can lead to unhealthy weight gain and cavities. They include
  • soda
  • lemonades
  • juice drinks
  • sweet tea
  • sports drinks

The best drinks are water and milk including non dairy milk.

• Turn TV off during mealtime :  It is very important to turn TV off during mealtime and bedtime. You should also turn off devices.
• Teach table manners : Children should be ready to learn basic table manners around this age. With your help , the child can learn table manners such as
  • not talking with a mouth full of food
  • proper use of cutlery
  • using a napkin
  • not reaching across for another person’s food

Children copy what they see so it is important to set a good example for them to emulate.