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Healthy Eating for Children - Changing Your Family's Eating Habits

Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods from all food groups. It means choosing fewer foods that have lots of fats and sugar. But it does not mean that your child cannot eat desserts or other treats now and then.

With a little planning, you can create a structure that gives your child (and you) the freedom to make healthy eating choices. Think of this as planning not just for the kids but for everyone in your family.

First steps

Set up a regular snack and meal schedule. Kids need to eat at least every 3 to 4 hours. Most children do well with three meals and two or three snacks a day.
Eat meals together as a family as often as possible.
Start with small, easy-to-achieve changes, such as offering more fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks.
Look at your portion sizes. Remember that younger children may eat smaller amounts than adults. Although paying attention to portion sizes is important (especially of less-nutritious foods), it is up to your child to decide how much food he or she needs to eat at a meal to feel full.
Slowly cut down on soda pop and other high-sugar drinks. At mealtime, serve whole milk to children under the age of 2 (the essential fatty acids in whole milk are needed for brain growth and development). Serve fat-free or low-fat milk to children over the age of 2 (at this age, children will usually get enough fat in their diet to supply these nutrients). Children under 12 months should not drink cow's milk. At other times of the day, serve water to quench thirst. You can encourage your child to drink more water and fewer sugar-sweetened drinks by keeping cold water on hand in the refrigerator.
Use MyPyramid as a general guide for planning meals and to get an idea of the variety of foods to offer to your family.
Consider meeting with a registered dietitian for help with meal and snack planning (nutritional counseling). For basic information about nutrition, see the topic Healthy Eating.
When trying new foods at a meal, be sure to also include a food that your child likes. Don't be discouraged if it takes several tries before your child actually eats a new food. It may take as many as 15 times or more before your child will try a new food.
Even though your child may not eat the food, it is important to keep serving it so that your child can see other family members enjoying it. Also, your child should not think that meals are going to be planned only around his or her food preferences. Remember, you are in charge of deciding which foods are served at meal and snacks.

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WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: March 01, 2010

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.