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Healthy food is essential for growing children but, like you, your child’s relationship to food is not just nutritional. Choosing, preparing, and enjoying food is often a family affair. Many children show their first signs of independence at mealtime.
You can help your preschooler develop healthy eating habits and attitudes toward food.
- Provide your preschooler with a healthy range of foods following recommendations in the Canada Health Guide.
- Preschool children need routines. Regular and frequent meal and snack times give them the nutrition they need and help them develop healthy eating habits.
- Allow your preschooler to make decisions about food. Offer him healthy choices and allow him to decide how much he needs to eat.
- Model healthy eating habits, a healthy body weight, and positive self-image for your child.
- Respect the food preferences of your child, but also encourage her to try new things to develop her sense of taste, and her acceptance and enjoyment of new foods.
- Avoid using food to bribe, comfort, or control your child.
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