The Parent is responsible for:

• What food is offered.
• When food is offered.
• Where food is offered.

The Child is responsible for:

• How much food is eaten or whether they eat at all.

Do not force your child to eat anything. 

Food Refusal

• Do not make special meals for your child. Making a substitute meal teaches the child that the parent never expected him to eat the original food that was put in front of him.
• Do not say “Please try it.”
• Do not pay any attention to foods not eaten by your child.

• Continue eating and enjoying your own food.

Expect to present new food at least 20 times on average before it is accepted.

Role Model

• Toddlers and preschoolers need to be offered 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.
•  Role model eating every meal and snack with your child.

Don't be too Free with Milk and Juice

If children drink too much juice and milk, they will not have a balanced diet.

When feeding a child who only eats a few foods or a child who eats too little:

• Limit milk to 2 cups/500 ml per day.
• Avoid juice or limit to 1/2 cup/120 ml per day. 

Contact the intake nurse at 519-258-2146 ext 1350 for a free copy of Feeding Your Child

or download it at:  http://www.wechealthunit.org/family-health/nutrition/booklets/feeding_your_child_insidesncover.pdf  

Reference:

• Satter, E. (2000). Child of mine: Feeding with love and good sense. Palo Alto, California: Bull Publishing Company.