One of the common worries of a mother is about the adequacy of her child's diet. A child requires more calories and protein for growth and tissue repair. If the child does not get adequate nutrition during this period, overall growth of the child is affected.

One of the common worries of a mother is about the adequacy of her child's diet. A child requires more calories and protein for growth and tissue repair. If the child does not get adequate nutrition during this period, overall growth of the child is affected. Eating habits are always set in the first few years of life. That is the time to ingrain a healthy eating pattern in children. Velocity of growth varies in different age and sex group. Child's nutritional requirements do vary accordingly.

How to make eating enjoyable?

There must be regularity in meal times. In between munching must be discouraged. There is no need to worry about occasionally not eating a meal properly or about over eating. It is perfectly normal. There must be some changes in the menu and the environment, other wise it will become monotonous. Try to make food more appealing by using appropriate flavoring agents and syrups. There is no point in forcing a child to eat; this will make a child rebellious. Try avoiding discussing about each ones likes and dislike regarding food while eating. The difficulty to make your child eat vegetables can be over come by catering to the taste in colour and texture. When introducing new foods try offering one at time and give small amounts at first. It is a good idea to try out new foods at the beginning of the meal while a child is still hungry. A little imagination in preparation and serving can be very rewarding. When you do all this, you must be cautious not to encourage your child's pranks.