Food remains an issue of contention in many families. Here are some suggestions to help you to develop healthy eating habits in your babies and toddlers.

Never get into power struggles over food.
This is a battle you cannot win. When you argue with your child over food, the power struggle between the two of you becomes the focus rather than the food. Your child may refuse to eat because you've engaged him in a battle of wills and his need for Independence overrides his common sense and his appetite.


Never Use Food To Reward Or Punish Your Child.
Food is a necessity of life and mealtimes need to be approached in a matter of fact way. Threatening to take dessert away for misbehavior or bribing a child with sweets for good behavior only leads to problems down the road. Associating food with behavior, rather than hunger, teaches your child to ignore his body's hunger and satiety signals. Withholding food as punishment can undermine a child's basic feeling of safety and trust in the world and create lifelong eating problems.


Feed Your Child When she's Hungry.
You need to feed your child when she is hungry rather than forcing her to eat just because the clock says it's mealtime. Be guided by your child's body rather than by the clock.



Give your child regular, nutritious snacks between meals.
Children's stomach's are small and we often overestimate how much they can eat at one meal.This means that they cannot eat enough at one meal to last them until the next. Providing your child with healthy snacks between meals means that your child is getting all the nutrition his growing body needs. It also stops your child from filling himself up on junk food, which is devoid of the nutrients his growing body so desperately needs.



Offer Foods that appeals to your toddler.
Toddlers love finger foods, foods they can dip into and sandwiches that are cut up into pretty shapes. Often taking a few minutes to make the food appealing means the difference between a meal that is eaten and one that is rejected.


Keep an eye on how much liquids you child is having throughout the day.
Some children fill up on milk or juice and then eat very little at mealtimes. If your child tends to fill up on liquids, try giving her a bottle after meals instead of before meals. If your toddler wants to nurse because of hunger, offer her food first and then top the meal off with some milk if she still wants some. You also need to give your child water regularly so that she isn't quenching her thirst with milk and juice instead of water.



Encourage your child to try new foods, but don't force her to.
Children are more likely to eat a new food after they've had several chances to taste it first. To get your child to agree to taste unfamiliar foods tell her that she can spit it out if she doesn't like it. Never force your child to try a new food. This leads to more resistance. Rather adopt a 'take -it - or -leave - it' approach. The more you force her the harder she'll resist.


Cut out all distractions at mealtimes.
A distracted child is usually a poor eater.TV, Video games and even toys at the dinner table are all no-no's.


End the meal when your child says that she is full.
If your child starts playing with the food, throwing food or stops eating, it's time to end the meal. Let your child get leave the table and go and play. Don't force her to stay seated until everyone finishes eating.


Involve your child in the after meal clean-up.
Give your toddler a wet cloth wipe her highchair after meals. Or you can give her a warm, damp facecloth or wet-wipe to wipe her hands and face after she has finished eating. Cleaning up after meals makes toddlers feel competent and provides a transition from mealtime to

Model healthy eating habits yourself.
It's useless to tell your child to eat her veggies when you're scarfing down a Big Mac. If you want your child to develop healthy eating habits, then you have to model them first.