Raising Healthy Children: Introducing New Foods to Your Preschooler – Part One

Here is a good way of Introducing New Foods to Your Preschoolers by Julie M. Martinez and Karla P. Shelnutt EDIS Dept UF:

Variety is Key!

The five food groups include Grains, Vegetables , Fruits , Milk  and Meat and Beans. Nutrients found in one group may not be present in high amounts in another—that’s why variety is important.

Some preschoolers prefer eating the same foods every day. This is called a food jag and is common in this age group. Although food jags can be frustrating for parents, children do outgrow them. If the foods of choice are nutritious, continue to offer them along with other foods. Eventually, your child will try other foods and learn to enjoy them. The best way to encourage your preschooler to try new foods is to have them available. Above all, avoid power struggles. It can take 10-15 times of offering a new food before a young child will even try it (and sometimes even more before they enjoy it), so be patient. Getting upset will just make you and your child more frustrated.

Stay tuned next week for Raising Healthy Children: Introducing new Foods to Your Preschooler – Part Two!