Raising Healthy Eaters in a Fast-Food World

From fast food restaurants on every corner to ultra-processed snacks marketed straight to kids, families face constant food messaging from an early age. With busy schedules, it can feel incredibly hard to “be good” and offer healthy meals and snacks all the time. Recently, I saw a plush doll holding a container of fries in a red box with a yellow “M” on it—a clear reminder of how early and aggressively food marketing reaches our children.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that not all eating challenges are caused by the food environment itself. Young children naturally go through developmental phases that affect eating. Many experience “food jags,” especially around age 2, when they are asserting independence. These patterns can also appear during times of change, such as learning to walk or starting a new childcare setting. During these periods, it’s common for parents to worry and label their child a “picky eater.”

When concerns about eating arise, it can be helpful to step back and look at the whole child rather than focusing on individual meals. Questions to consider include: Are their nails and skin healthy? Is their weight appropriate for their height? Are they growing steadily? These indicators often provide more useful information than whether a child ate vegetables at lunch that day.

Child development expert Dr. T. Berry Brazelton emphasizes that a perfectly rounded diet should not be the goal during the second year of life. In Touchpoints: The Essential Reference, he notes that during an intense stage of negativism, toddlers can continue to grow and thrive even when daily intake looks surprisingly limited. He offers examples of how basic nutritional needs can still be met during these phases, including:

• 1 pint of milk or its equivalent (cheese, yogurt or even ice cream)
• 2 ounces of iron-containing protein (meat or an egg) or iron-fortified cereals
• 1 ounce of orange juice or fresh fruit
• 1 multivitamin to cover vegetables that may be refused

These recommendations were developed to help parents allow children to maintain control over most of their feeding choices while still meeting basic nutritional needs.

Understanding portion sizes is also key. Toddlers have very small stomachs—typically holding only 4 to 6 ounces (about ½ to ¾ cup) at one time. Because of this, serving sizes should be approximately one-quarter to one-half of an adult portion.

For example:

• A 2-year-old may need only about 2 tablespoons of fruits or vegetables.
• A 4-year-old may eat about 4 tablespoons, or ¼ cup.

Offering smaller portions more frequently throughout the day helps prevent discomfort, reduces pressure at mealtimes and supports healthy eating habits.

As caregivers, we can support good nutrition by planning ahead. Packing healthy snacks for the car and offering simple, wholesome foods at home—such as yogurt (rather than yogurt tubes)—can make a big difference. Many store-bought snacks—even those that seem healthy, like certain cereal mixes—contain additives, high levels of sodium and added sugars.

Ultimately, feeding young children is about balance, trust and patience. By understanding development, honoring children’s hunger cues, and focusing on overall health rather than perfection, we can reduce stress and build a positive relationship with food that lasts a lifetime.

Feeding Without Pressure

• Look at overall growth and health, not individual meals
• Expect food jags during developmental changes
• Offer small portions and let children decide how much to eat
• Keep mealtimes calm

Angela Percival-Porter is a child development specialist for the State of Oklahoma. She is an adjunct professor, former director of an NAEYC-accredited early learning center, and a consultant to childcare centers.