I am a mother of two little boys, 2 years old and 4 years old. They are active, and they eat all the time! The problem with this is, I often hand over a quick snack, and forget nutrition. I have been trying to eat better as I am 18 weeks pregnant (Pregnancy Food Guide), and realized I need to put the same care, and attention to my older children’s food! We give our boys a daily multivitamin, but nutrition should go beyond that, don’t you think? However, as a parent, I have a million things running through my mind at any moment in the day. I devised a plan, so I can track my children’s(and my) nutrition, to make sure we are all getting the right amount of the right foods. How did I do this? I will tell you!
I made a food tracking chart, so that my children can be an active part in their nutrition, and keep track of it. My goal is to help them, and help myself. I chose to use cute pictures for each food category, grains, dairy, vegetables, fruit, and protein; with a star to represent the number of servings needed daily. I have laminated these and have put them at kid-level on the fridge, and use a dry erase/washable marker so we can mark off each serving. Then I remembered I am working with toddlers, how can I make this fun?
I can make it a game! If, we fill up the chart, we get a treat! Of course, a candy every day before bedtime is not the best idea, and goes against the “better nutrition” goal. We opted for an occasional treat, and rewards! Rewards such as; stay up 10 minutes later, read an extra book before bed, bring a small (quiet) toy to bed with you, mom cleans up the rest of the toy mess, etc. Simple, fun, toddler friendly rewards. Tonight, they each got to add new toy in the bathtub toy bin.
I also understand that many children (mine included) go through the picky eating phase. They will only eat specific foods, in a certain quantity, and nothing else. How do I fulfill the nutritional requirements with a picky eater? The food pyramid has recommended servings, I have simply decided to do my best to fulfill my boys nutritional needs. I will provide the food, and if they don’t eat it, then the consequence is they have decided to wait till the next snack or meal time to eat. This doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for us. They will eventually come out of the picky eating stage, and when they do, fill them up with the good stuff!
I am excited to play this fun, daily game with my boys. I get to participate as well with my own chart! It is easy to follow and, as there is also a chart to track servings for the kids, even babysitters, and older siblings can know how much food equals a serving. Just try to remember, this is a FUN thing! There needs to be simple toddler friendly rewards, and if they don’t fulfill the recommended food “requirement” it’s ok, they will still grow and they will come back for food later.
The charts, linked to in this article, cover the general “food pyramid” requirements, but serving sizes vary depending on age, weight, and other things. This food chart is good for 2-6 year olds. I would recommend you talk with your pediatrician or nutritionist before implementing any diet changes, every family and child is different and has different needs.
Charts:
Rachel Haxby is a wife and mother of a growing family. She has taken numerous courses in health and nutrition for children, and for families. She runs her own photography business, and is a global internet wellness entrepreneur.
