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Trust Your Child’s Appetite – They Know How Much To Eat
- Stop feeding your child. Instead, eat together and serve a variety of foods that you enjoy and that you want your child to eat. Limit snacking to set times during the day and eliminate grazing.During the meal, relax and allow your children to serve themselves what and how much they want.
- Steer clear of “toddler foods”. Whether it is gold fish crackers or puree pouches, foods marketed to children may slow down the development of acquired taste for “grown-up” foods that you want your child to start eating as soon as it is developmentally appropriate.
- Include a “safe” food in each meal. It may sound like a counterproductive advice, but unless they are served something that looks appetizing to them, most kids will feel reluctant to branch out to try new foods.
- Forget the “mealtime circus”. Cutting fruit and veggies in fun shapes or playing “here comes an airplane” may get some reluctant eaters to sample a piece or two but it does not work for everyone.
- Beware of the “one bite” rule. While this approach may work with more adventurous and compliant children, it may make things worse for those with intense fear of new foods and textural sensitivities. With no pressure to eat or try new foods, children usually relax and start exploring more with time.
Source: FieldsOfFlavor.Com