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Square Meals
Do Kids Need Three Square Meals a Day?
By Donna Smith
Ask parents what the most important meal of the day is, and a majority will say breakfast. Studies have found that breakfast can help a child excel in school, but O'Shea reminds parents that all meals count. "I think it's most important for parents to remember that all meals, and snacks, are important," she says. "It is most important to make sure that your child gets the nutrient he needs, but when may vary from child to child – and from day to day."
O'Shea says one of the things she sees often is frustration from parents that their child does not eat well enough at dinner. "It is important to remember that often, lunch is the largest meal for a child, and quite often snacks provide excellent nutrition throughout the day," she says. "In fact, eating habits in kids are often erratic and unpredictable. Watch overall intake over several days to ensure that food jags don't become a problem, but also don't force kids to eat if they are not hungry. They have an innate ability to know when they are hungry and when they are not."
Eating healthy should involve the whole family. "If a parent is not eating three regular meals, it is common that the child would not follow that pattern either," O'Shea says.
Make mealtime an activity for the whole family. Sit together. Eat the same healthy foods. Learn the social, societal and behavioral elements of eating. Encourage slow eating by putting down your fork between bites. Eat at regular mealtimes. "They are as important to healthy eating habits as enjoying healthful foods," she says.
