Being three is fun for me!
I am curious and may ask a lot of questions. I need your help to LEARN NEW THINGS.
I MAY BE a choosy eater at times.
I might like a food one day, but not the next. It’s okay if I eat a lot sometimes, and not very much at other times. Some days I may be hungrier than other days, this is normal. I will eat if I am hungry.
I may be cautious about eating new foods. I might need to see a food 10 or more times before I learn to like it. Please keep offering it, but don’t force me to eat.
REMEMBER:
- Your job is to offer a variety of healthy foods and decide what time and where we will have our meals and snacks.
- My job is to decide if, what, and how much I will eat from the food choices you provide.
I NEED YOU TO TEACH ME:
- How to behave nicely at the table.
- When I should say “yes, please” and “no, thank you”.
- To be brave and try new foods and not just eat my favorite foods all the time.
HERE’S WHAT WILL HELP:
- Have sit-down meals and snacks at regular times so I have the chance to eat every 2 to 3 hours.
- Only offer water in between meals and snacks.
- Offer at least one food I like at each meal and snack.
- Only allow eating and pleasant conversation at the table. Turn off the TV, computers, and phones. Talk with me about the day.
- Show me how to eat well. Seeing you eat healthy foods makes me want to try them too.
Here are some examples of what meal and snack portion sizes might look like on my plate.
Plate size shown: 10″
Breakfast
½ cup 100% orange juice
½ cup diced bell pepper
1 slice whole grain toast
1 cooked, scrambled egg
½ cup low-fat yogurt
Lunch
½ cup sliced in half grapes
½ cup cooked, sliced carrots
½ medium whole grain pita bread
with 1 ounce sliced, lean deli turkey
with 1 slice cheese
½ cup water
Snacks
2 or 3 whole grain crackers
with 1 stick string cheese, quartered lengthwise
¼ quesadilla with cheese
½ cup low-fat milk
water between meals and snacks
Dinner
½ cup sliced pear
½ cup cooked, diced mixed vegetables
½ cup low-fat milk
¼ cup cooked brown rice
¼ cup cooked pinto beans
Daily Suggested Food Group Amounts
FRUITS
3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cups total)
Cooked or soft, raw fruit
Mashed, sliced, or chopped
Offer a variety: red, yellow, orange, blue, and green
VEGETABLES
3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cups total)
Raw or cooked, mashed, sliced, or chopped veggies
Offer a variety: dark green, orange, red, yellow, and purple
GRAINS
6-8 servings a day
1 serving = ½ ounce
(3-4 ounces total)
Whole grain bread, tortillas, rice, noodles
Dry or cooked cereal
PROTEINS
3-4 servings a day
1 serving = 1 ounce
(3-4 ounces total)
Cooked lean meat, poultry, or seafood
Eggs
Cooked beans, peas, or tofu
Peanut butter
DAIRY
5 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(2½ cups total)
Low-fat milk
Yogurt
Cheese
Look what I can do!
- I can help! I feel happy when I help you make meals. I am more likely to taste what I helped create too.
- I am learning how to fold and wrap. I can help fold dish towels.
- I am learning how to pour. I can help pour water into plastic cups.
- I can use a big spoon to help stir pancake or muffin batter.
- I can shake things using two hands, like plastic bottles of salad dressing. Make sure lids are on tight!
- I am learning to spread. I can help spread peanut butter and jelly on slices of bread using a child-safe knife.
Keep me safe and healthy
Take me to the doctor for my check-up.
Help me brush my teeth 2 times a day and floss daily.
We need to wash our hands often. Teach me how to wash my hands with warm water and soap. I need to wash them for 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
I need simple rules. Set limits on when, where, and how often we have screen time. Talk about what I’m learning as we watch together, and keep me safe from what I shouldn’t see. Let’s focus on each other during meals and snacks.
