Making the Most of Mealtime

There is much more to eating with our children than meets the eye. Eating with your child is an opportunity to strengthen your relationship as well as set the foundation for lifelong good eating habits. There are basic things that parents can do to  make the most of mealtime with their child starting from birth. The tip sheet titled: Healthy From the Start, brought to you by zerotothree.org, offers the following 7 tips to guide parents as they work to make the most of mealtime with their little ones.

1. Remember: Meals are about more than food.
2. Create routines around mealtime.
3. Offer 3 or 4 healthy food choices (that your child likes) at each meal.
4. Don’t force your baby or toddler to eat.
5. Don’t give up on new foods.
6. Turn off the TV (and computers etc.) at mealtimes.
7. Healthy eating and exercise go hand in hand.