Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Picky Eater

Dear Lisa

My two year old daughter is such a picky eater. How do I know if she is eating enough?

“Picky Eater in N.J.”

Dear “Picky Eater”

It is very common for Toddlers to be picky eaters. A two year old's developmental stage is centered upon their need for autonomy. They learn by touching; feeling new textures and temperatures. They gain a sense of accomplishment by trying new things and carrying out tasks by themselves. At this stage of development it is expected that a toddler will only sit for a short period of time for meals. They tend to enjoy small frequent meals which include finger foods or small pieces of food, tiny enough for their hand to pick up and feed themselves.

One general guideline to determine if your daughter is eating enough is to give her one teaspoon or bite of each food group per age. For example, a two year old should eat two spoons of chicken, two spoons of peas, two spoons of diced pears and two bites of bread. A three year old should eat 3 spoons from each food group and so on. Generally, our adult food portion sizes in the United States are too large and we as parents tend to envision our child needing a plate filled with food. Luckily this is not the case. My advice is to make eating an enjoyable time and not a time of reprimanding. This way your child will not learn to use eating or not eating as a tool to get your attention.

Lisa Kelly R.N., P.N.P, C.
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Advice about Bringing up Healthy Children

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