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Home › Articles › Toddler Nutrition › Dining Dilemmas?

Dining Dilemmas?

10 Parent-proven Solutions for Mealtime Battles

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9. My preteen skips breakfast most mornings. I don't know how big a deal to make of the situation.

Hungry kids have a harder time focusing in school, which can lead to academic problems. If your child is rushing out the door because she's in a hurry or she's suddenly decided she hates the standard breakfast menu fare, see if you can brainstorm some ideas for some almost-instant breakfasts (like a healthy and yummy fruit-and-yogurt smoothie).

Here's another point to keep in mind: Sometimes preteens skip breakfast in the mistaken belief that doing so will help them to lose weight. That, in turn, tends to lead to poorer food choices later in the day, which can set up a cycle of unhealthy eating.

10. How many times should I ask my child to try a food that he "hates" before I finally give up on that food?

Researchers have found that it can take 10 to 20 exposures to the same food before a child finally decides he likes it. Of course, you don't want to serve that food the same way 15 nights in a row if your child gives it a thumbs down the first night.

Serve it in slightly different way every couple of weeks. For example, serve sweet potatoes grilled on the barbecue, mashed like regular mashed potatoes or sliced into julienne fries. Sometimes it can take a whole lot of trial and error to crack the code of your child's food likes. Your parent detective skills really pay off at a time like this.

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