Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5) are still developing their eating habits and need encouragement to eat healthy meals and snacks. These children are eager to learn. They will often imitate eating behaviors of adults. They need supervision at mealtime as they are still working on chewing and swallowing skills.

These are some helpful mealtime hints for preschool-age children:

• Provide regularly scheduled meals and snacks, and limit grazing.
• Discourage poor behavior at mealtime. Focus on eating, not playing at the dinner table. Turn off the TV and put away cell phones and other electronics during mealtime.
• Running or playing while eating can cause a child to choke. Have your child sit when eating.
• Keep offering a variety of foods in a variety of ways. Have the attitude that, sooner or later, your child will learn to eat almost all foods.
• Make mealtime as pleasant as possible. Don't put pressure on your child to eat. Don't force your child to "clean" their plate. This may lead to overeating, which can cause your child to gain too much weight. Some days, children will eat everything, while other days, they may eat very little. This is normal and usually ends up evening out over time.
• Don't let your child fill up on drinks like milk and juice during the day. This will lead to them being less hungry during meals and snacks.
• Provide an example of healthy eating habits. Preschoolers copy what they see their parents doing. If you have unhealthy eating habits, your child will not learn to eat healthy.

The USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have prepared the following guide to help parents select foods for their children.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize the nutritional intake of the following:

• Protein. Prioritize protein at every meal. Choose from a variety of lean meats and poultry, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans.
• Dairy. Milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Focus on those that are high in calcium.
• Vegetables. Vary your vegetables. Choose a variety of colorful vegetables. These can be frozen or canned (low sodium) and may include dark green, red, and orange vegetables, legumes (peas and beans), and starchy vegetables.
• Fruits. Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried and may be whole, cut up, or pureed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 4 ounces of juice per day for children 1 to 3 years of age, and 4 to 6 ounces per day for children 4 to 6 years of age.
• Fats. Fats are essential to healthy growth and development. Healthy fats, such as nuts, seeds, olives, avocado, and plant oils, are rich in vital nutrients and should be included in the diet. Limit saturated fats.
• Grains. Foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain are grain products. Examples include whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. Aim for mostly whole grains.

Encourage active play and daily physical activity along with a healthy dietary plan.

Here are some tips to follow:

• Try to control when and where food is eaten by your children by providing regular daily meal and snack times. Include social interaction and demonstrate healthy eating behaviors.
• Include children in the choosing and preparing of foods. Teach them to make healthy choices by helping them to pick nutritious foods.
• Select foods with these nutrients when possible: calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.
• Preschoolers don't need large servings of food. Offer small servings for meals and snacks.
• Parents are encouraged to limit children's screen time to less than 1 hour daily. Instead, encourage activities that call for more movement and active play.
• Children and teens need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days for good health and fitness and for healthy weight during growth. Try to make activity fun and engaging rather than a chore.
• To prevent dehydration, encourage children to drink fluids regularly during physical activity and drink several glasses of water or other fluid after the physical activity is completed.

To find more information about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, visit RealFood.gov.

Always talk with the doctor about your child's individualized diet and exercise requirements.