Tips to help prevent choking
• Cut foods that may potentially lodge in a child's throat (such as hot dogs, grapes or cherries) into lengthwise pieces.
• Cook and mash corn or carrots.
• Spread peanut butter thinly.
Children at this age often refuse various foods that are unfamiliar to them. If this occurs, do not force the issue; simply reintroduce the food at a later time. With more frequent exposure (about eight to 10 exposures), children will usually develop an increased preference for that food.
Try the following tips to help children accept new foods
• Offer a variety of healthy food selections and allow children to choose what they want to eat.
• Serve a new or disliked food with a familiar food.
• Children mimic their parent's behaviours. It is important for healthy eating to become a family affair.
• Do not use dessert as a reward for completing a meal. This teaches children that dessert is the best part of the meal, increases the chances that they will only want sweets and may hinder the acceptance of non-sweet foods.
• Involve children in meal planning, food shopping, preparation and cooking to pique their interest in different foods and healthy eating.
Dr. Joey Shulman D.C., RNCP, is author of Winning the Food Fight (Wiley, 2003) and The Natural Makeover Diet (2006). For more information, visit www.drjoey.com.
Page 2 of 2 – Want your kids to eat dinner? Find Dr. Joey's advice for this problem on page 1.
