Offer Nutritious Food : Your preschooler may ask you for cookies at every meal, but what they really need is a variety of nutritious options served over three meals and two snacks each day. Offer nutritious vegetables, fruits, meats, and low-fat dairy products and limit high sugar and high-fat foods.
Calories Required : The amount of calories your preschooler will need depends on how active they are. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends between 1,200 and 2,000 calories per day depending on activity level and age.
Healthy Eating Choices : The best nutrition advice to keep your child healthy at this stage is to encourage them to eat a variety of foods. “Finger foods like carrot sticks, celery sticks, fruit slices, and raisins are healthy choices that preschoolers might enjoy.
Try New Menu Items : If your preschooler refuses certain foods or doesn’t seem to eat enough, don’t try to convince them to eat. Encourage them to try new things while respecting their limits and teaching them to listen to their bodies’ fullness cues. Meals should be a positive family experience.
Follow Healthy Eating and Exercise yourself : When healthy eating habits and regular exercise are a regular part of your family’s life, your preschooler is more likely to embrace these habits as well.
Be sure of Choking Food Hazards : Carrots, peanuts, and grapes are all nutritious options for your preschooler, but they can also be a choking hazard. Make sure to cut any hard foods into small pieces and quarter foods that can become lodged in the esophagus, such as hotdogs, grapes, or cherry tomatoes. Even a spoonful of peanut butter can cause a 3-year-old to choke. Cut food length-wise instead of in circles to minimize choking hazards.
Give Preschoolers Whole Fruit : Preschoolers benefit more from whole fruit than from fruit juice, which is mainly sugar and lacks the fiber found in fruit. Three-year-olds should have no more than 4 ounces of 100% fruit juice per day, while 4- and 5-year-olds should stick to 6 ounces max.