the pre-operational stage between ages of 2 and 6 can be tough as there is a lot going on both physical and cognitively. children have slowed growth (and appetite) so their eating is erratic this is also the time that food neophobia (fear of new foods) peaks increasing picky eating. here are some things parents can to do encourage healthy eating: set structure at meals. that means eating regular meals and 1-2 snacks between in a focused way (preferably the kitchen table). children who graze on snacks may eat poor at mealtime because they have small bellies. follow the ellyn satter division of responsibility of feeding where parents decide the what when and where of feeding and children decide the whether and how much of eating. pressuring children to eat actually makes them eat less so allow your child to take the lead and you'll be surprised how much better they do over time. battles make mealtime a negative and eating suffers. eat together and model healthy eating habits. children learn by watching others eat -- encourage touching food or smelling it to get a child comfortable with new items. have children help with meal preparation and get them involved as much as possible. hands on leaning is always best at this stage as telling a young child a food is "healthy " translates to "it must taste bad. " always tell them it tastes good! build on foods the already accept. so if they like a certain sauce try a healthy item in that familiar sauce. if they like a certain dip try a new veggie with it. if they like breaded chicken try breaded veggies like zucchini. make sure there is always something at the table your child likes so they aren't overwhelmed with new food. they will be more likely to try something if they feel there is safe food there. it is not that tough to meet a child's nutritional needs at this stage. remember that a varied fruit intake can make up for low veggie intake. 2-5 year old's only need 2-3 ounces of protein per day. and always look at their eating over a week and not one day. it usually evens out. the good news is after 6 children become more open to food especially if mealtime has been a positive experience with them. never label them as picky and always have an expectant attitude when it comes to eating. good luck!
how do you get a chiled to eat healthy during the preoperational stage by using preoperational thought? . what are some characteristics of preoperational thinking that i can use with my child to get her to eat more healthy?