Picky Eaters and Serving Sizes

Answers to parents questions about feeding children

Children often don't eat as well as you would like. Some children have a short list of foods they will eat others simply refuse to try new foods. Does your child eat too many snacks or sweets? Do you know how much food your child needs to grow and develop at a healthy weight? Here are some quick answers to some common questions about feeding children.

What if my child eats only a handful of foods?

Children who eat only a few select foods will miss out on some important nutrients. If their choices are mostly low nutrient snacks that are high in fat, sugar or sodium, you will need to limit these foods.

• Continue to offer their favourite foods as long as they are nutritious.
• Build up their list of acceptable foods by adding a few new foods each day or week. For example, if they always want a cheese sandwich for lunch offer them this but change the vegetables, fruit or soups you serve with it.
• Encourage your child to try something different once or twice a week. For example, an egg, light tuna* or meat sandwich, a bean burrito, a noodle casserole.

*Find out how to limit exposure to mercury in certain fish

How can I get my child to try new foods?

Getting children to try something new shouldn't be a fight. Children need to see a new food many times before they will actually accept and eat it. Simply having a new food on their plate for them to look at and experiment with is a start.

• Have your child try "one bite". This can help increase comfort and acceptance of new foods. Avoid force-feeding or offering a reward for tasting new foods as this may decrease acceptance.
• Be a good role-model! Eating with parents, siblings or peers who are enjoying new foods can help increase acceptance.
• Make trying new foods more fun. Do a taste test with a new food or recipe and have the family "rate" it for satisfaction.
• Involve your child in making a meal. Children who help make a meal are more likely to eat it and appreciate it too!

My child snacks all day and then won't eat supper – what can I do?

Children can fill up easily if they snack continuously throughout the day. Snacking too close to meal times can also fill kids up and prevent them from eating meals. Children, especially young ones, do need a healthy meal or snack about every 3 to 4 hours to keep them energized. The after school crowd is usually hungry and in need of a snack before supper.

• Offer healthy snacks at least one to two hours before meals. To take the edge off closer to meal times offer a plate of cut up fruit or raw vegetable sticks to keep them going.
• Avoid high fat chips, cookies or other baked goods before meals as they are low in nutrients and very filling.

What kinds of foods are best for snacks?

The best snacks are foods from one of the four food groups in Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide - Vegetables and Fruit, Grain Products, Milk and Alternatives and Meat and Alternatives. These foods provide essential nutrients for healthy growth and development.

• Offer healthy choices such as vegetables and fruit, whole grain bread, buns or bagels, low sugar cereals, whole grain crackers, milk, yogurt, cheese, milk puddings, hard boiled eggs, or your own roasted meats such as turkey, chicken, beef, pork or ham.
• Avoid foods that are low in nutrients and high in calories, fat, sugar or sodium. Look at the label to help you decide.
• Avoid sugary beverages which provide calories and few nutrients. Offer water to satisfy thirst.

How can I get my child to eat more vegetables and fruit?

Many children say they don't eat vegetables but most will actually eat a few. A few creative strategies on your part will get your kids eating more vegetables and fruit.

• Serve raw vegetables with a low fat salad dressing.
• Cut up melon cubes and wash grapes and store re-sealable containers.
• Add berries or dried fruit to cereal or as a topping for yogurt.
• Use frozen berries, ripe bananas, or canned peaches in smoothies.
• Grate carrots and zucchini and add to salads, pasta sauce, pita or wrapped sandwiches.
• Serve broccoli, carrot, squash, vegetable or minestrone soup.
• Add frozen green peas or baby carrots to chicken noodle soup.
• Add single-serve containers of fruit into lunch boxes such as unsweetened applesauce, canned peaches or pears, mandarin oranges or pineapple bits.
• Choose 100% fruit juice (not fruit drinks or cocktails) and limit amount to 125 - 250 mL (1/2 - 1 cup) per day.

My child eats a lot of bread and cereal is that okay?

That depends on your child's age. Children 2-3 years old should have 3 servings, 4-8 year olds 4 servings and 9-13 year olds 6 servings of of grains per day. A serving is 1 slice of bread, 1/2 bagel, bun or pita, 30 grams of cold cereal (check the label to find out how much that is), 175 mL (3/4 cup) of cooked cereal and 125 mL (½ cup) of cooked pasta or rice.

• Look for whole grain breads and cereals made with 100% whole wheat, oatmeal, rye, pumpernickel, rice or corn.
• Use the label to help you choose products that are higher in fibre and lower in sugar.

What can I serve if my child doesn't like milk?

Children should have at least 500 mL (2 cups) of fluid milk or fortified soy beverages each day to get enough calcium and vitamin D. Older children and teens need 3 to 4 servings of milk or alternatives each day. Yogurt and cheese provide calcium but not enough vitamin D.

• Serve milk at the right temperature for your child.
• Try chocolate milk or a soy-based beverage fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
• Use milk instead of water in cream soups and hot cereal or try puddings made with milk.

What can I do if my child won't eat meat?

Children don't like meat for different reasons - some because of the taste or texture, others for personal or ecological reasons. Whatever the case, avoiding meat is not a nutritional concern as long as your child is getting the nutrients they need from other foods. Nutrient-packed foods such as eggs, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds, tofu and fortified meat alternatives can take the place of meat. A serving of meat alternatives is:

• 2 eggs
• 175 mL (3/4 cup) of beans
• 150 g, or 175 mL of 3/4 cup tofu
• 30 mL (2 tbsp) of peanut butter
• 60 mL (1/4 cup) nuts and seeds
• 175 mL (3/4 cup) hummus

Children 2-8 years old should have 1 serving and children 9-13 years old should have 1-2 servings of meat and alternatives a day.

For more information on healthy eating for children visit the Dietitians of Canada website.

Find out more about Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide.