3 TO 3½ YEARS
Being three is fun for me!
If we are breastfeeding, I still may want to nurse daily or just a few times per week. Breast milk still protects me from germs and is nutritious. Breastfeeding helps you stay healthy too, mom!
When it’s time for me to wean, patience is best. Think of another activity we can do – like reading a book, so we still have that special time together.
I am curious and may ask a lot of questions. I need your help to LEARN NEW THINGS.
I might like a food one day, but not the next. It’s okay if I eat a lot sometimes and not very much at other times. Some days I may be hungrier than other days, this is normal. I will eat when I’m hungry.
I may be cautious about eating new foods. Remember, new foods might still take me 10 times or more before I learn to like them. Please keep offering them to me but don’t force me to eat them.
REMEMBER:- Your job is to offer a variety of healthy foods and decide what time we will have our meals and snacks.
- My job is to decide if, what, and how much I will eat from the food choices you provide.
- How to act nicely at the table and that it is safe to have new food on my plate.
- When I should say “yes, please” and “no, thank you”.
- I cannot only eat my favorite foods (all the time).
- Have sit-down meals and snacks at regular times so I have the chance to eat every 2 to 3 hours.
- Only offer water in between meals and snacks. A small amount of juice is fine but no more than 4 ounces a day.
- Offer at least one food I like at each meal and snack. Try to offer me a new food or one I don’t like with a food I do enjoy. I may feel calmer and more likely to try the new food. If I’m still not ready, please be patient. There’s always next time.
- Only allow eating and pleasant conversation at the table. Turn off the TV, computers, and phones. Talk with me about the day.
- Show me how to be a good eater. Seeing you eat healthy foods makes me want to try them too.
Below are examples of meal/snack ideas and portion sizes to serve on my plate.
Here’s what my BREAKFAST might look like...
½ cup 100% orange juice
½ cup diced bell pepper
½ slice, cut up whole grain French toast
½ cup shredded cheese
1 cooked, scrambled egg
Here’s what my SNACKS might look like...
2 or 3 whole grain crackers
with 1 stick string cheese, quartered lengthwise
1 slice whole grain bread
with 1 tablespoon peanut butter spread thin
½ cup low-fat milk
water between meals and snacks
Here’s what my LUNCH might look like...
½ cup sliced in half grapes
½ cup cooked, sliced carrots
1 ounce sliced, lean deli turkey*
with ½ medium whole grain pita bread
½ cup water
Here’s what my DINNER might look like...
½ cup sliced pear
½ cup low-fat milk
½ cup cooked, diced mixed vegetables
¼ cup cooked brown rice
¼ cup cooked pinto beans
Daily Suggested Food Group Amounts
Fruits
3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cup total)
Cooked or soft, raw fruit.
Mashed, sliced, or chopped.
Offer a variety: red, yellow,
orange, blue, and green.
Vegetables
3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cup total)
Raw or cooked, mashed, sliced,
or chopped veggies.
Offer a variety: dark green,
orange, red, yellow, and purple.
Grains
6-8 servings a day
1 serving = ½ ounce
(3-4 ounces total)
Whole grain bread, tortillas, rice, or noodles.
Dry or cooked cereal.
Proteins
3-4 servings a day
1 serving = 1 ounce
(3-4 ounces total)
Cooked lean meat, poultry, or seafood.
Eggs.
Cooked beans, peas, or tofu.
Peanut butter.
Dairy
5 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(2½ cups total)
Breast milk (at breast or
expressed) or low-fat milk.
Yogurt.
Cheese.
Look what I can do!
- I can help! I feel happy when I help you make meals. I am more likely to taste what I helped create too.
- I am learning how to fold and wrap. I can help wrap vegetables in aluminum foil for baking.
- I can help pour water into plastic cups and use a big spoon to help stir pancake or muffin batter.
- I can shake things using two hands, like plastic bottles of salad dressing. Make sure lids are on tight!
- I am learning to spread. I can help spread peanut butter and jelly on slices of bread using a dull, plastic knife.
Keep me Safe and Healthy.
*To keep me safe from certain bacteria, heat deli meats until steaming.
To prevent choking, always sit with me at meal/snack time and offer me foods I can safely chew and swallow.
Take me to the doctor for my check-up.
Help me brush my teeth 2 times a day and floss daily. I should see the dentist every 6 months to keep my teeth healthy.
We need to wash our hands often, especially before I eat. Teach me how to wash my hands with warm water and soap. I need to wash them for 20 seconds or the time it takes to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
I need simple rules. Set limits on when, where, and how often we have screen time. Talk about what I’m learning as we watch together and keep me safe from what I shouldn’t see. Let’s focus on each other during meals and snacks, not a screen.