Putting learning into lunch

NUTRITION

The Infant and Toddler Forum shares ideas for helping children understand more about the food they eat

What is the right time to teach young children to eat well and how to recognise different foods? And how can you do that without turning every mealtime into a lecture about vegetables?

A recent survey conducted by the British Nutrition Foundation found that a quarter of primary school children thought that chicken contributed towards their ‘five a day’ and a fifth thought that cheese counted towards the target. This suggests that more needs to be done to educate children about food groups and balanced eating habits.

Toddlerhood is the perfect time to establish positive eating habits that will last a lifetime. With a plethora of information surrounding nutrition for children, it can be hard to navigate through all the various sources.

Here are some tips from the Infant and Toddler forum to help you teach children about foods in a simple manner, establishing healthy feeding habits that will take them into adulthood.

Modelling
Toddlers learn to eat different foods and improve their self-feeding skills by watching what and how others eat. Ensure that you eat meals together and model what eating well looks like. Explain what you have on your plate and how different types of foods can help them grow, run and play. Always aim to make mealtimes relaxed and happy occasions, without any pressure to eat or try anything new.

Make food familiar
Introduce new foods respectfully and with toddler development in mind. Toddlers have different preferences for tastes, textures and colours of food. Those who care for them should respect those preferences. However, when serving new food to toddlers it helps to think that they are more likely to learn to like foods as they become more familiar with them. You can help toddlers by playing games with picture cards introducing new fruit and vegetables or simply talking about how they look, smell and the texture inside and out.

Be careful not to force
Adults have the power to decide which nutritious foods to offer but let your toddlers decide how much and what they want to eat. It is normal for toddlers appetites to vary. They may eat well at some meals but much less at others. Don’t be tempted to push them to have one more bite or finish what’s on their plate as this can impact on mealtime enjoyment, safety and teach them to override their natural ability to regulate their appetite.

Stick to a routine
Toddlers need to eat small amounts of food regularly throughout the day to maintain their energy levels. A routine of three meals and two or three planned nutritious snacks allows you to offer a balanced diet across the day, while limiting the number of times that their teeth are exposed to the sugar and acid found in food and drinks. This approach also allows you to introduce different healthy foods and drinks over the course of the day.

Don't use food as a reward
Reward toddlers with your attention, not food. Toddlers should eat because they enjoy the food. Never give food as rewards for eating other foods, for good behaviour or for comfort. This will make these foods seem even more desirable than they already are. Aim to keep all foods on the same playing field.

Avoid judging foods
Try not to label foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Placing judgements on different foods may in turn cause children to form negative judgements about themselves when they eat them. Modelling eating healthily in front of children and keeping their minds engaged by explaining the reasons behind each food is more likely to spark their interest and reduce the chance of them forming judgemental opinions about food.

Get them involved in preparing meals
One of the best ways to get your toddlers to know more about what they are eating is to involve them in preparing meals. Give them tasks or choices – even if it’s as simple as deciding what vegetable they want to have on the menu, or what fruit they will have each day.

One of the best ways to get your toddlers to know more about what they are eating is to involve them in preparing meals. Give them tasks or choices – even if it’s as simple as deciding what vegetable they want to have on the menu, or what fruit they will have each day.

Find out more
For more information or practical tips on childhood nutrition and positive eating habits, visit infantandtoddlerforum.org

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