Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in their lives, the experts say not to worry. Unless you are feeding him or her chips and cookies three times each day, these children will most likely meet their weekly nutritional quotas.
However, if you are concerned about their developmental progress, make an appointment with their pediatrician for confirmation. In the meantime, you may want to include a multivitamin in your child's daily diet to balance his intake of nutrients.
Instead of looking at what types of food your child is eating meal-by-meal or even day-by-day, round out the picture by looking at your child's diet week-by-week.
Most children do not eat a balanced diet every day, but over the course of a week or so, their diet will usually fall within healthy eating guidelines. This perspective can help provide you with the total nutrient intake and you will probably feel much better after discovering that they really are eating more nutritional foods overall.
Here are some nutritional guidelines that can help you when looking at your child's dietary needs:
? Children need between 24-28 grams of protein a day, which can be found in just two servings of cheese, beef, chicken, fish, eggs, yogurt, dried beans, milk, or peanut butter
? Approximately 800 mg of calcium (3-4 servings) are needed daily, which can be found in macaroni and cheese, yogurt, orange juice, or a glass of milk
? Children need at least 5 mcg of Vitamin D, which is available in a glass of milk or by playing outside in the sunshine for a few minutes every day
? The requisite 5 mg of iron can be found in lean meats, poultry, fish, legumes, or whole grains
? Vitamin A (500 mcg) can be readily found in vegetables, including carrots and sweet potatoes
? Likewise, Vitamin C (45 mg) can found in fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, and cantaloupes
Of course, whenever in doubt, the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children (http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/KidsPyra/) remains the standard for nutritional eating for children between the ages of 2 and 6. This includes Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta (6 servings a day); Vegetables (3 servings a day); Fruits (2 servings a day); Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese (2 servings a day); Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts (2 servings a day); Fats, Oils, and Sweets (use sparingly).
Snack Time
Snacks will typically not ruin your child's appetite an hour or so before dinner because he or she has a small stomach. Because your child may not receive enough nutrients during dinner, snacks should be viewed as an important time to meet those needs, especially if they are offered at a regularly scheduled "snack time."
However, beware of snacks that provide little more than calories such as chips, candy, and sodas. Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, says, "If you are going to offer snacks, make sure they are supplementing meals, not sabotaging them."
Here some healthy snack food suggestions:
? Graham Crackers
? Popcorn
? Pretzels
? Milk
? Cheese
? Yogurt
? Hard Cooked Eggs
? Fruit
? Raw Vegetables
? Crackers, Rice Cakes, Celery with Peanut Butter
? Applesauce
? Dried or Canned Fruit
? Low-fat Pudding
? Animal Crackers
? Home-made trail mix made from dried fruit, nuts and dry cereal
? Bread Sticks
? Baked Chips and Salsa
? Dry Cereal
Learn step-by-step how to successfully cope with Picky Eaters with Help There is a Picky Eater in The House! Full of Proven Strategies and Great Picky Eater Recipes that are Guaranteed to Help. http://www.mypickyeater.com
maide service in Lincolnshire ..Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent or teacher more... Read More
Learning responsibility is an ever widening and lifelong process.As thinking,... Read More
We are all so very happy to see that the... Read More
Sitting by her Pinocchio lamp, she smiled at me as... Read More
During the assessment process it is of great importance for... Read More
There are millions of young children in this country who... Read More
Did you know that cooking with your kids is a... Read More
Many parental units are not "techies" and openly admit they... Read More
In our last article about the neurology of ADHD we... Read More
Reading is the most efficient and economical way to help... Read More
Advocate: you've probably heard the term before. But what does... Read More
To protect children's self-esteem or deflect complaints by parents, many... Read More
What is a parenting problem?Parenting is a tough job, we... Read More
Bath time can be fun or it can be a... Read More
John Bishop's Goal Setting for Students.comParents ? Minimize Homework Hassles?It's... Read More
I am crying tears of joy mixed with great sadness... Read More
In my opinion, these things matter...1. Enjoying childlike delights before... Read More
Is your babysitter watching the kids and your k9 family... Read More
An Awesome Dad in by no means perfect. But that... Read More
There are a LOT of alternative treatments for sale out... Read More
What's in a name? Er?well, everything, really! Of course your... Read More
Discipline is a necessary part of parenting yet it makes... Read More
Raising a pre-teen or teenage daughter (or son) is not... Read More
As a parent you will be asked to assist with... Read More
Plus size children and overweight children need patterns and clothing... Read More
cleaning lady near Deerfield ..Life is funny.My twenty-year-old daughter, Melanie, has a her new... Read More
Q. We just got our daughter's progress report, and it... Read More
I will cherish this moment. I will not let it... Read More
Pool safety should be on the minds of every parent... Read More
There are some grounds to assume that a cognitive dissonance... Read More
What is in a name?The answer is everything!Jo J. of... Read More
You have just received a call from your child's teacher... Read More
It's the third time this week that Sam has complained... Read More
Parents of hyperactive children know the "Would you please just... Read More
Q. Our 17-year-old son wants us to let his girlfriend... Read More
What you say and do about money has a profound... Read More
Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it... Read More
Kids today no longer live the kind of privileged lives... Read More
Public education in the United States has never been equal... Read More
Dads, please let me encourage you to change some things... Read More
'And all because of a damned cat! It's only a... Read More
For the first year or two of life outside the... Read More
Parents, when you help your children learn to read, you... Read More
As a step daughter and step grand daughter, I followed... Read More
What are the easiest things citizens can do to prevent... Read More
Younger generations unfortunately will not understand how larger than life... Read More
There isn't a school day that goes by that I... Read More
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More
The public school system in America has become a dismal... Read More
Spending quality time with your children doesn't need to cost... Read More
Parenting |