Setting up mealtimes as a chance to learn builds a child’s health, development, and social skills. Learn how positive eating environments, responsive feeding, and family style dining help form lifelong good habits. These resources explore how to make mealtime more than just a meal. Find out how to turn it into a positive experience and a learning event that supports and promotes children’s relationship with food and teaches them about nutrition and eating.
Nutrition
Good nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy foods helps pregnant women and children get the nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy, active, and strong. Health managers and program staff can explore resources to support healthy eating habits and find nutrition assistance information to share with families.
Responsive Feeding
Responsive feeding promotes the division of responsibility between the adult and child. In this practice, the adult decides what the child eats while the child decides how much they will eat. Recognizing and responding to hunger and fullness cues nurtures and supports children’s relationship with food. Explore these resources to learn how to make responsive feeding part of the mealtime routine.
