Ask the Expert Series: Why is Healthy Eating Important for Children?

As your baby grows their interest in the world around them, it is common for them to have a shorter attention span for food, hence eating less. Here are some tips for you to try out: 1. Set a meal schedule: Having mealtime at a regular time every day serves as a reminder for your baby that he needs to eat. 2. Adjust his meal portion: If your baby can’t finish his meal, try to reduce the portion. If he is still hungry, you can always offer him a second serving. 3. Offer snacks: If your baby is eating small portions during main meals, try giving him healthy snacks, such as nuts, yoghurt and fruit to give him those extra calories. 4. Replace some play time with meal preparations: Getting him involved in the kitchen could increase his interest in eating. If you still find that his growth chart is below the normal range, I would recommend you seek further support from a GP or a dietitian.

Don’t worry; it’s common for children to be fussy about food. However, adding variety to their meals would help them receive different nutrients. Here are a few ways: 1. Add colours and shapes - Cutting ingredients into fun shapes and using a variety of colours can entice your child to try them. Over time, you can replace white rice with brown rice to add more colour to her dish whilst also increasing her wholegrain intake! 2. Eat what she eats - Your child looks up to you as their role model and will imitate your actions. Wherever possible, food on her plate should be on everyone’s plates too. 3. Patience is key - It takes time for children to try new things and to get accustomed to them. Encourage small bites of something new, but don’t push her to finish it, especially if it's her first time. Baby steps!

In terms of adequacy, if her meal portion resembles the My Healthy Plate concept (1/4 plate of wholegrains, 1/4 plate of meat and others, 1/2 plate of fruit and vegetables), she will be able to meet her nutritional requirements. In order to achieve this, some creativity in meal preparation and patience are needed. As long as your child is growing up healthily, you don't need to worry too much! But remember, if she’s making a mess when she eats, it may be because she’s stressed. Try to keep the environment calm and supportive - you might just see a difference!

Children’s appetites can vary from time to time. It is common for children to refuse to eat or eat less than usual and eat more in their next meal. If it happens every so often, that is totally fine! However, if they constantly skip meals and you realise that they are eating small amounts in all meals, we need to question whether they will become undernourished. Some studies have found that constantly skipping meals can increase the risk of obesity in the future. Hence, it’s important to monitor the frequency of meal-skipping and their growth charts.

It is common for parents to feel that their toddlers are not eating enough. You might sometimes notice that he isn’t able to eat much, but this is normal - he knows how much he needs! However, if he is eating less than normal because of distractions during mealtimes, try turning off the TV, banning gadgets at the table, or eating together. If he is resisting food continuously, try presenting his meals in a new way. Try out new ingredients, textures, shapes, and presentations to entice him into trying it! If his growth chart falls within the normal range, don't worry! It means that his intake is able to catch up with his requirements. For more information: https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/122/early-nutrition-for-babies/12-24months/food-portion-guide-for-toddlers-baby

Children who are consuming a well-balanced diet will be able to meet their vitamin requirements without any supplementation. If they don’t eat enough during their main meals, you can provide nutritious snacks in between meals to help them meet their requirements.