An average adult has a stomach capacity of about 1 litre ( or 4 cups ). Although we don’t need to eat up to capacity in every meal and end up feeling over-full, we do have room for a whole lot more food, drink and combinations of protein and carbohydrate for staying power than a young child does. A newborn has a stomach capacity of just two to four teaspoons of food. Your little one needs very frequent feeds and it can seem like the whole day is spent eating. By six to nine months baby’s stomach capacity has increased significantly to about half a cup. He or She is now beginning to try and is able to tolerance a wider variety of foods. As a rule of thumb, preschool-aged children have a stomach capacity about the size of their fist. Although more than an infant, they still have tiny stomachs when compared to adults.

Many feeding struggles are rooted in the frustration parents can feel when their children don’t eat at meal times. But unlike adults, Kids need very small food portions, even at formal meal times. Setting structure around meal time is important indeed. Do expect your child to come to the table to be with the family. Do give them small portions of what the family is eating. Don’t expect them to eat very much. Allowing them to help wash or prepare the food and serving themselves a small amount of the food can increase their likelihood of eating it.

Pre-schoolers need to eat every two to three hours or more often. Because their food intake is essentially a series of snacks all day, to ensure nutritional needs are met, serve snacks that are of the same quality as foods you would eat at meal time. This way your child gets the nutrients they need instead of nibbling on low quality snacky treats like sugary granola bars, fruit rollups, juice boxes or starchy, puffy treats leaving no room for more nutritious meals.

For good balance, aim to include at least two, if not three or four of the food groups in each snack choice. To ensure your preschooler will join you at dinner, try to avoid a snack for atleast an hour before coming to the table. Keeping milk intake to no more than four, half cup servings/day and limiting or avoiding juice altogether are also helpful strategies in getting your child to eat their meals.