GOOD TIMES AT MEALTIME
Human Development and Family Studies
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
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In the United States, families usually eat three meals a day - breakfast in the morning, lunch in the middle of the day, and dinner in the evening. Snacks may be served in between meals (see *Good Times with Snacks*).
Mealtime is important to children's development. The food they eat at mealtime gives the vitamins, minerals, and protein they need to grow and stay healthy. It gives them energy and makes them feel good. Eating habits and attitudes learned in childhood can last a lifetime.
Babies get the nutrients needed from milk. As they get older and drink less milk, a variety of foods are needed. How fast children grow, their activity levels, and how they feel will all affect how much food they eat. Unusual excitement, traveling, visitors in the home, hot weather, teething, an illness, or any emotional upset can influence a child's appetite.
Even infants show definite food preferences, but children often learn to dislike food from watching and hearing others say they do not like it. How food looks, tastes, and feels in the mouth is important in making it attractive to children.
Ending one activity and beginning another is called a transition. Making the transition from playing to eating can be hard for children. Transitions often involve ending an enjoyable activity. It is a period of waiting - in this instance waiting for meals to be served. When children are required to wait they often become restless and bored. Fights can start with brothers and sisters. Children may start playing with their food or banging their forks and spoons. They probably will not sit in their chairs for very long. Some children may get up and run through the room, shout and chase each other, or return to their play activities. Caregivers can ease the transition to mealtimes by simply planning ahead.
A baby learns new skills and has new experiences in eating during the first year. The baby's diet gradually progresses from milk feedings to the addition of small amounts of solids, and finally they are given normal family meals. It is important to let babies develop at their own pace, don't hurry them or compare them to other children. Your feelings are important to a baby's developing eating habits. Eating should always be regarded as enjoyable for both baby and caregiver. There is no need for mealtime to become a battle or a race against time.
A baby has difficulty using a spoon and coordinating the movements of chewing and swallowing. Therefore, babies usually are not given solid food until 4 to 6 months. At that time, only a small amount of smooth food is needed. Be ready to give the bottle immediately after the solids, because the baby will not want to be kept waiting.
Once babies start eating solid foods, they need more water - especially if they are taking foods such as strained meats or egg yolk. Remember that babies may cry because they are thirsty. Not all crying indicates hunger or a wet diaper! Once the child drinks from a cup, juice can be added to the diet. It should not be given in a nursing bottle because it may cause tooth decay. Drinking from a cup is a major step forward for a baby. It means more participation in family meals.
Around six months it is the baby's turn to feed himself or herself. Needless to say, this can be very messy. The floor, baby, and you, all need to be covered. Getting food on a spoon, carrying it right-side-up, and hitting the mouth is a pretty risky business!
Some people feed their infant directly off the tray of the highchair so they do not have to worry about dishes being pushed "overboard." A baby dish with straight sides makes it easier for the baby to push food onto the spoon. It is a good idea to use a bowl with a suction cup attached to its base to anchor it firmly to the tray of the highchair. This avoids the problem of the baby having to "chase" the bowl around the tray.
Usually babies start to chew when they are about 6 to 7 months. As definite chewing motions become regular, chopped food of a familiar flavor can be added gradually. When teeth begin to show, the baby can be offered plenty of hard foods, such as raw apple or carrot, teething biscuits, etc. Never give large pieces of food, however, as the baby may choke on them.
Soon, baby will be eating meals with the rest of the family and require little extra help.
If you are working with a baby who is taking a bottle, have the parents help you learn how to give the bottle to the child. Find out the answers to the following questions.
Let the baby decide how much to eat. At 5 or 6 months, babies show they want food by opening their mouth and leaning forward. They show they are not interested or are full by leaning back and turning their head away. Pay attention to these signals so babies can learn right away they can control their own food intake. The amount of food a baby wants can vary enormously from day to day. Don't worry when this happens.
Babies need to take time to become accustomed to new foods. Touching food, playing with it, and then rolling it around in the mouth before swallowing are all part of this process. Be patient.
If a baby refuses or spits out food which has a new taste or texture, it may have nothing to do with the flavor and feel of the food. It may simply be that the food is different and the baby does not know what to do with it. Be patient and try again, slowly. If it becomes obvious that the baby does not like the food, stop and try again the next day. Never force the baby to eat a particular type of food. Give the baby a spoon with a straight handle and a shallow bowl with rounded, not sharp sides. Continue to keep a spoon so you can feed the baby. Baby spoons are likely to be used as toys until the baby starts to copy you.
Put older infants in a highchair for feedings. Make sure they are secure. If the child looks around the room instead of accepting food, look for the cause. Is there a purring cat walking around the kitchen? Is the television on? Help the infant by removing these attention-getters.
Be sure that foods and liquids are at lukewarm temperatures when given to infants. If they are too hot, they can burn and make babies afraid of food. These early experiences are important.
Read *Good Times With Infants* to learn more about how babies grow and change.
The toddler is in a period between infancy and childhood. Toddlers are learning that they are separate people apart from their parents. Learning they can do things themselves is exciting! Toddlers often want to do things for themselves before their little arms, legs, fingers, and hands are ready. They learn the skills of using spoons and forks, by trying - AGAIN AND AGAIN. Toddlers will want to feed themselves "like grown-ups" with little help. They need encouragement and freedom to learn (this includes a certain amount of messiness). They also are not ready to eat without supervision - they will need a caregiver to help at all times. Covering the child and the floor can make clean-ups easier.
Part of 2-year-old behavior is saying "NO!" a lot. Again, it is all part of showing they can be independent. Mealtime is a common time for these "no's" to be heard. Be able to tell when children are asserting themselves and when they really are not hungry or do not want a particular food (see *Good Times with Guidance and Discipline*).
Between the first and second birthday, toddlers' eating habits change a lot. Growth really slows down after one, and the toddler will begin eating less. While not eating a lot, toddlers will still have lots of energy.
Toddlers sometimes go on food "binges" and want only one kind of food (peanut butter sandwiches every day). They usually do not like foods that are gritty, stringy, gummy, spicy, or mixed together. They do like mild flavors and lukewarm foods.
Toddlers are busy learning about their world and want to explore everything, including their food. Because of this, toddler's mealtime behavior can be frustrating to adults. They like to touch, smell, and make sounds with their food. Do not worry - they also like to taste food. This is normal for a toddler but some limits need to be set, and consistently enforced, because behaviors such as food throwing can get out of hand!
Toddlers love finger foods that are easy to pick up. Child-size dishes and utensils are also easier for toddlers to handle. Plates that are 6 to 7 inches across are a good size. Plates with slightly raised sides help toddlers push food onto a spoon so food will not fall off the plate. Toddlers also need thick-handled spoons and forks and small glasses and cups they can hold easily with both hands. All dishes should be unbreakable.
When children reach their preschool years, many of their major feeding problems go away. While they still have fairly small appetites, their eating patterns are more stable.
Preschool children are eager and ready to learn about foods and are more likely to accept new foods if they can help you prepare them. Helping with meals can be a tremendous learning opportunity. Preschoolers can learn about new words, relationships, and locations. They can learn about size and quantity as they count cookies, measure cups of milk, and compare large and small fruit.
Some cooking activities such as beating with an egg beater and peeling carrots with a vegetable peeler give preschoolers practice in motor coordination. Steps in recipes teach the idea of order and sequence. Children love pictures, so having pictures replace words in a recipe is great for preschoolers. Waiting for bread or cake to come out of the oven teaches about time, and setting a table uses the child's memory.
Preschool children are influenced by other people - both adults and children. If they hear their parents or friends say they do not like a particular food, the children will often decide they do not like that food either. Foods they hear about on television often are requested. Preschool children need good models to copy in order to have a healthy diet. Be sure to eat healthy foods yourself when you are around young children.
Preschool children can learn about appropriate mealtime behavior: talk instead of yell at the table, ask for a dish to be passed instead of reaching across the table, and sit at the table or wherever the meal is served instead of getting up every few minutes.
Do not forget safety and health when cooking. Remind the children not to cough or sneeze into the food and to start with clean hands. Warn children not to touch hot things in the kitchen. Also, never leave a preschooler alone in the kitchen while food is cooking. Take sharp objects (knives) with you if you have to go into another room to answer the telephone.
Read *Good Times with Preschoolers* to learn about children between 4 and 6.
Early school-age children are able to take an increased amount of responsibility in their homes. They can help with meals on a regular basis; make salads, set the table, or wash the dishes.
During the school years, children become interested in cooking special surprises for others (birthday cake for dad or a pancake breakfast for grandma). Cooking is a skill that must be learned. School-age children can read a recipe, but they will need help to interpret what the recipe means. They also will need help planning their time so the eggs do not get cold while they wait for the pancakes to be ready, and to learn and follow kitchen safety rules.
School-age children can understand the concept of nutrition and are being introduced to terms like calories, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They learn a great deal about how to stay healthy. However, by this stage children have formed many of their basic attitudes toward food and eating. These attitudes will have a strong influence on what they choose to eat. Many school-age children get an allowance from their parents. Some of it may be spent on snacks. Some snack foods are nutritious and others are not. You can help school-age children make healthy choices about what they will eat for snack food.
By the time children reach school age, food has acquired strong social and cultural meanings. Children's cultural background and family traditions will influence what they like to eat and the feelings they associate with different foods. It will also influence when they like to eat (dinner at 5:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.) and the amount they eat at a particular meal. Families in some parts of the United States have a big meal at noon and a light meal in the evening. Others do it the other way around.
Some school-age children may eat because they are sad or lonely instead of when they are hungry. Eating may make them feel better for a short time. This can result in overeating and other eating problems that may continue into adulthood. Help children find fun things to do, and let them know that you enjoy their company all the time - not just when you are eating.
1. Observe mealtimes in your own home. What traditions, involving mealtimes, does your family have? What comments are made about the food served? What does it feel like to eat with your family? Hurried or relaxed? Relaxed or tense? Do members of your family talk to each other during a meal? Who talks to whom and what do they talk about?
2. Look at the foods you eat. Do you have a healthy, well-balanced diet? Keep a daily log of everything you eat and drink for a week. Do you eat foods in all four food groups every day? How many foods do you eat that have a lot of calories and little nutritional value?
3. Plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a preschool child. Then ask yourself the following questions:
*Cooking Up Learning*, Jundt, Rumpf, 1976, (74 pages). This booklet is helpful in showing how instructions for recipes can be made in order for children to understand and create their own food items.
*How to Help Your Child Eat Right*, Hatfield, Kuzmanich, Smelton, Washington D.C.: Acropolis Books (150 pages). This book provides general nutrition knowledge along with suggestions for meal planning and ideas on how to tell your children what is good for them.
*More Than Graham Crackers, Nutrition Education and Food Preparation with Young Children*, Wanamaker, N., Hearn, K., Richartz, S. and Idaho-Washington NAEYC, 1979 (93 pages). Supplies examples of nutrition education activities to carry out in the classroom. A list of excellent recipes is provided.
*Mother and Child Cook Book, The*, Ferreira, N.J., Manis, CA.: Pacific Coast Publishers, 1969 (73 pages). Discusses why cooking experiences are important in early childhood curriculum.
*Sticks and Stones and Ice Cream Cones*, Fiaratta, New York: Workman Publishing Co., 1973 (320 pages). Provides activities, games, and crafts that can be used in teaching nutrition.
*Nutrition Banner, The*. Flyer published by the Arapahoe County Extension Office as part of their Child Nutrition Program. Address: 5334 S. Prince Street, Littleton, CO 80166. Contains good information and great ideas for increasing children's acceptance of foods.
Kansas State University - *Food for "Me Too" - The Preschooler*. Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, 1980. Talks about preschoolers and their food habits, provides sample menus and information on good nutrition.
EATING BEHAVIOR
Record observations of one child during meal or snack time. You may have to observe for several days to get all the information needed.
| Name of Child Observed: | Age: Years ___ Months ___ |
| Number of Children Present: ___ | Number of Caregivers :___ |
| Type of Food Service: Mealtime ___ Snack Time ___ Time of Day _______ |
Food Served:
|
|
Room and Table Arrangements:
|
|
| Date of observation: |
| MOTOR SKILLS |
|
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| Held cup or glass with both hands. | |||
| Showed good control of spoon, fork, or knife with hands and fingers. | |||
| Chewed food well. | |||
| Poured milk or other beverage. | |||
| Cut with a knife. | |||
| SENSORY EXPERIENCES | |||
| Handled food while eating. | |||
| Smelled or tasted food before eating it. | |||
| Placed food in mouth with fingers. | |||
| EATING HABITS | |||
| Messy. | |||
| Neat. | |||
| Dawdled. | |||
| EATING PATTERNS | |||
| Carefully separated foods on plate before eating. | |||
| Ate all of one food, then another until meal was completed. | |||
| Ate some of each food in an alternating pattern. | |||
| Wanted to know about any food that looked unfamiliar. | |||
| Ate dessert before completing other foods. | |||
| Drank beverage completely before eating food. | |||
| Drank beverage along with meal. | |||
| Drank beverage after completing meal. | |||
| COMMUNICATION SKILLS | |||
| Talked with children or caregivers next to him or her. | |||
| Talked with child or caregiver across the table or room. | |||
| Spent more time talking and watching than eating. | |||
| Ate without talking or interacting. | |||
| FOOD PREFERENCES | |||
| Had obvious likes and dislikes. | |||
| Talked about foods he or she liked. | |||
| Actions without words reflect preferences. |
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