Child Feeding Guide Age 3 to 5 Years

At this age, parents often become concerned about their child’s eating habits. Children often:

• eat few meats
• eat slower
• are easily distracted
• drink a lot of liquids
• eat few vegetables
• request lots of sweets
• ask for the same food over and over
• are picky

Tips for feeding your Child

• Keep a variety of healthy foods on hand to offer your child.
• Offer small portions and allow your child to stop eating when full.
• Offer 4 ounces or less per day of juice.
• Too many liquids including milk and juice may lead to poor eating.
• Use non-food rewards such as praise, hugs or stickers.
• Choose 1% or fat free milk and dairy foods.

Family Meals

Start early with family meals to help your child develop better eating habits.

• Your child will learn to make healthier food choices and be more accepting of new foods.
• Family meals help your child develop social skills when eating together.
• Obesity risk is lower for children who eat meals with the family.
• Children who participate in family meals have better grades in school.
• Family meals help your child to develop role models.

Preparing for meal time

• Have meals and snacks at regular times.
• Keep mealtime pleasant.
• Allow your child to self feed with a spoon.
• Limit distractions by turning off the TV.
• To meet all your child’s needs, 5-6 small meals per day is best.
• It takes 8-10 tries before a child may accept a new food.

Tips for preventing choking

• Always watch your child when eating.
• Encourage children to sit while eating.
• Foods that are firm, smooth, slippery or round can cause problems.
• Cut foods into child sized pieces.

Feeding Guide

½ cup cereal, rice or pasta is about the size of a baseball
¾ cup milk or yogurt is about the size of ¾ of a tennis ball
2 tablespoons is about the size of a golf ball

Food is for energy so enjoy play during your day!

Check the following website for ideas: http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhard/

Sample Menu

Breakfast

½ cup cereal
6 oz. milk
4 oz. juice
3-4 tablespoons fruit

Snack

4 crackers with cheese
4-6 oz. milk

Lunch

½ turkey sandwich
4 tablespoons cooked veggies
½ banana
Water

Snack

4-6 oz. milk
1 graham cracker

Dinner

2 oz. cooked meat
4 tablespoons cooked veggies
½ cup rice, pasta, or potato
6 oz. milk