(Note: For a PDF version of this document, download Feeding Young Children (PDF))
Meal and Snack Routines are Important
- Offer three meals and two to three snacks each day
- Leave two and a half to three hours between meals and snacks
- Offer only water between meals and snacks to help encourage a good appetite
Children Eat Best When...
The parent or caregiver decides:
- Where to eat – seated at the table for meals and snacks
- When to eat – keep to the meal and snack routine. Avoid extra snacking
- What to offer – be mindful of their likes but do not cater to them
The child decides:
- Which foods to eat – from the foods you offer
- How much to eat – trust their tummy. They will eat the right amount for their growth and activity needs
You are a Role Model and Have an Impact
- Take the time to enjoy mealtimes together
- Offer your child the same foods that you eat
- Serve foods family-style so they can pick which foods and how much from what is on the table
- Have pleasant conversation and avoid talking about how much or little they eat
- Put away toys and electronics (cell phones, tablets, TV) so the focus is on eating
- Your child may be messy when they eat. With time and practice, it will get better
Remember that your child will eat best if:
- Mealtimes are relaxed
- They do not feel pressured to eat
- Foods are easy to eat without help
- They are allowed to stop eating or leave the table when they are full
Meal Plan Using Canada's Food Guide:
- Use the Food Guide plate to plan meals and snacks
- Include foods from all food groupings (vegetables and fruit, whole grains and protein foods)
- Include a vegetable or fruit (or both) at meals and snacks and choose ones with different textures, colours and shapes
- Flavour food with herbs and spices instead of salt or sugar
- Offer small portions of easy to chew foods
- If your child does not eat what you offered, do not go back to the kitchen to get other food
Iron is Important for Growth and Development
- Offer iron-rich foods two to three times each day
- Iron-rich foods include:
- Legumes (kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas)
- Soy products (tofu, edamame)
- Eggs
- Beef, dark meat chicken, turkey, pork, fish
- Iron-fortified cereals
- Vitamin C (vegetables, fruit) helps absorb iron
- More than three cups (24 ounces or 750 mL) of milk can cause iron levels to go down
Some Foods Are Choking Risks
Avoid:
- Hard, small and round foods (whole grapes, raw carrots, apples, nuts, fruit with pits, hot dogs)
- Smooth and sticky foods (nut butter by spoon)
Make these foods safer:
- Cook and chop these foods
- Thinly spread peanut and nut butters
Baby Teeth Are Important
- Help your child brush their teeth twice a day and floss once a day
- Help your child rinse their teeth with water when it is not possible to brush
- Take your child to their first dental visit by their first birthday. Routine check-ups are important
Drinks Matter
Milk
- Continue to breastfeed/chestfeed for as long as you and your child want
- If breastmilk/chestmilk is offered, give a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU daily until two years
- If your child’s milk source is not breastmilk/chestmilk, offer 3.25% M.F. cow’s milk. At two years, switch to skim, 1% or 2% M.F.
- Your child only needs two cups (16 ounces or 500 mL) of milk each day
- Offer ½ cup (four ounces or 125 mL) servings
Water and other beverages
- Offer water when your child is thirsty
- It is best to avoid juice and other beverages
- By 18 months, offer all beverages by open cup
For Further Information
- For more information or additional nutrition resources and videos, visit unlockfood.ca
- To speak to a registered dietitian at no cost, call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
- To find out if your child is a healthy eater, visit nutritionscreen.ca and complete Nutri-eSTEP for toddlers or preschoolers.