Teaching your child healthy eating habits now will benefit him or her throughout life. In addition to preventing weight gain and obesity, a nutritious, balanced diet may help reduce the future risk for chronic diseases, including some cancers and heart disease. Toddlers benefit from structure and limits. Establish a regular schedule of three small meals a day and two or three healthy snacks-and avoid giving out any other food in between. Preventing children from snacking freely throughout the day will make them more likely to eat the nutritious foods provided at mealtime. Give nutritious snacks such as raw vegetables (except for carrots and celery, which can cause choking), fruit, and cheese and crackers; minimize cookies, candy, and soft drinks.



After your child's first birthday, you'll probably notice a drop in his or her appetite and a new pickiness about what he or she eats. Your child's appetite has decreased because his or her growth has slowed, reducing calorie requirements. Give your child a variety of healthful foods and let him or her choose which ones to eat. He or she should be able to handle most of the foods that you and the rest of the family eat. Toddlers tend to be naturally careful about trying new foods. If your toddler doesn't seem to like a new food, continue to offer it now and then at meals; he or she is likely to come to accept it as long as you don't pressure him or her to eat it.

Don't expect your toddler to eat some of everything on the table-and respect his or her food preferences. Children are usually more willing to eat starches (such as rice or pasta) and meat than fruits and vegetables, so it's a good idea to offer fruit and vegetables at the beginning of the meal and for snacks when your child is most hungry. Vegetables that children tend to like best include broccoli, thawed frozen peas, potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes. A dip or a little grated cheese can make vegetables more attractive to some children.

Your child may resist certain foods, eat only one or two favorites for long periods and then tire of those, or eat large amounts of food at one meal and almost nothing at the next. View your child's nutrition in terms of his or her total diet-not necessarily one food, one meal, or one day at a time. If your child is eating a variety of foods over the course of several days, he or she is probably getting adequate nutrition. Don't try to control the amount of food your toddler eats.

A great way to get your child to eat the foods that are given is to encourage them and reward them with little gifts. For instance, when they eat their broccoli, give them a couple of skittles. This will ensure that the child eats the rest of his food and at the same time feel that they are being rewarded for it. This can be a great way to improve the eating habits of picky eaters!