7 Nutritionist-Approved Tips for Promoting Healthy Eating Habits
April 25, 2018
Home > Blog > 7 Nutritionist-Approved Tips for Promoting Healthy Eating Habits
oung children can be the most determined group of people when it comes to food and choosing what they will eat or what they simply refuse to eat. Introducing children to solid foods can be fun, but as the toddler years approach, they can become more decisive about their individual food preferences. Following national nutritional standards by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for early childhood may be a parent’s ideal, but young children can make it challenging when they refuse to eat certain foods. Let’s be honest, most of parents and early educators have tried many different approaches to get children to eat their meals – so let’s talk about what works.
If you’ve ever sang a song, made funny face, or tried a trick to help get your toddler to eat, you’ll enjoy reading this blog.
We brought in some reinforcements in the form of nutritional expertise to provide a more clear understanding on why young children react adversely to food and how adults can help to guide them while ensuring a healthy nutrition.
Dr. Daisy Miller, Ph.D., LDN, a behavioral pediatric nutritionist in Maryland shares some tips with us on how to best approach nutritional practices with children in the infant-toddler years. “The most important thing to know about introducing young children to new foods is to take a no-pressure approach. Picky eating is normal. Many kids say ‘no’ to new foods because something in their unconscious mind says so,” she says.
Dr. Miller suggests trying the following hands-on approaches:
1. Start small – Use gentle encouragement to take bites of new foods and eat the variety of foods provided for them. Note, being interested in one or two food items at a time is normal.
2. Make it enjoyable – The key ideas are keeping food introduction gentle, fun, exploratory, and not too emotionally charged.
3. Pay attention to cues – If a child is showing any resistance [to eating new foods], such as looking away and disengaging that is a good cue for the educator to stop the even gentle encouragement to eat.
4. Don’t overdo it – It’s easy for educators and parents to get very excited and offer a lot of praise to a child for trying a new food. But, it’s best to avoid praise and encouragement. Children eat food that they like, that they can handle, and feels good in their body – they don’t need an external source of approval, and in fact, it can add up to too much pressure.
5. Create a calm atmosphere – It’s important that meal and snack times are calm. Some kids are extra sensitive to smells and noise and can be easily overwhelmed in group eating environments. Playing classical or other relaxing music in the background at lunch can help.
6. Keep it real – Educators should never shame kids who are picky eaters or scare them into thinking they won’t “grow big and strong.” Statements like this can make a young child fearful and worried, which will only increase their picky eating.
7. Engage families – Educators should let parents know if their child tried a new food so the parents can follow-through and continue to offer that food to their child at home. If a child is not eating well at school, it’s very important that parents know this so that they can address the feeding issues with their Pediatrician, a pediatric dietitian, or an OT feeding specialist.
Getting an infant or toddler to eat and enjoy their meal is easier said than done, but it isn’t impossible. Using a variety of foods along with continuous practice and patience from early educators can help to build a healthy foundation for children’s lifetime eating habits. Most importantly, making meal time a fun and likeable part of a child’s day can have long-term benefits for their overall physical development – one spoonful at a time!
Daisy Miller, Ph.D., LDNhas been in private practice in Montgomery County, MD for 14 years. She is a Behavioral Pediatric Nutritionist and owner of the group practice, Dr. Daisy Miller and Associates, Rockville, MD. She enjoys helping children and their parents solve common and complex eating and feeding issues. For more information about her practice, visit www.drdaisy.com.
A couple of years before becoming a mother, I saw the classic movie Terms of Endearment. Before the opening credits, the film portrayed Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine, as a worried mom who checked on...
“Every child deserves a champion,” said longtime teacher Rita Pierson in a famous TED talk. She was talking about “an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and...
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I wanted to share how it is important for us all to reflect on women’s progress in the business world and the importance of supporting and empowering...
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
Dr. Calvin Moore shared that when he first arrived at the Council and took on the CEO role, he was focused on assessing the early childhood education (ECE) landscape, the reach of the organization and...
We have probably all seen the commercials this time of year when you can hear the popular holiday song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, playing in the background as parents dance joyously...
Did you know early childhood educators in Maryland have a special benefit that can help them and the children they serve? The Maryland State Department of Education has awarded a $1 million grant to the...
For the first time in three years, the Education Writers Association (EWA) gathered in person for their National Seminar in Orlando last month. The event drew journalists from across the country to hear from leaders...
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Janice Bigelow
Chief Financial Officer
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
CounciLINK is Your Connection
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.