Eating Strategies

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Many children have small appetites and are picky eaters. A child may eat little during some meals or even on some days. Don't worry about your child's appetite if he is healthy and growing normally. A child knows how hungry he is and is the best judge of how much he should eat. Make sure that he is eating nutritious food and not filling his appetite with juices and unhealthy snacks.

Many children are picky, eating only a limited number of foods. Some children have food "jags"; they will eat only one food at a meal day after day. Many children have a "white diet"; they eat few fruits or vegetables. Keep the big picture in mind. Most children will eat at least some foods from the different food groups. Over time they will eat what they need to grow and remain healthy. Food jags are not unhealthy as long as the food in question is healthy. Continue to offer a variety of foods and encourage your child to try one bite or one spoonful of a new food. Allowing a food to remain on the plate can be a victory.

It is never a good idea to try to force a child to eat a food that he does not want, or to eat more than he wants. Your job is to offer a variety of healthy foods and snacks with a consistent schedule. Your child's job is to decide how much and which foods to eat. Keep these jobs separate!

Here are some tips for small and picky eaters:

Avoid fighting over meals. Your child is more likely to try new foods if meals are low key and pleasant experiences. Food battles can lead to true eating problems.
Serve small portions, one-fourth to one-third of the adult portion size. Let your child ask for more.
Encourage exercise, which promotes increased appetites.
Be good role models for your children. Make healthy choices yourselves.
Involve your child in the selection and preparation of foods you want him to try. Try to serve foods in fun or creative ways. Offer healthy, tasty snacks to make up for what your child doesn't eat at the meals.
Ask your child to select a color each week and choose one new food of that color to try. This is a good way to try new fruits or vegetables.
Pick a "new food" day. On that day of the week, your child will select a new food to eat. He can design a special paper plate for the food. Or he can help choose a recipe for that food. Your child won't like every new food, but may slowly add new foods to his diet.

If a child has a very restricted diet, give him a daily multivitamin to help ensure he gets sufficient nutrients. If a child has an unusually restricted diet or is not growing appropriately, your doctor may refer him to a pediatric dietitian.