3 TO 3½ YEARS

Being three is fun for me!

I am curious and may ask a lot of questions. I need your help to LEARN NEW THINGS.

I MAY BE a choosy eater at times.

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 am hungry.

I may be cautious about eating new foods. I might need to see a food 10 or more times before I learn to like it. Please keep offering it, but don’t force me to eat.

REMEMBER:

I NEED YOU TO TEACH ME:

HERE’S WHAT WILL HELP:

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.
Offer at least one food I like at each meal and snack.
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.

Here are some examples of what meal and snack portion sizes might look like on my plate.

Breakfast

½ cup 100% orange juice

½ cup diced bell pepper

1 slice whole grain toast

1 cooked, scrambled egg

½ cup shredded cheese

Lunch

½ cup sliced in half grapes

½ cup cooked, sliced carrots

½ medium whole grain pita bread

with 1 ounce sliced, lean deli turkey

with 1 slice cheese

½ cup water

Snacks

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

Dinner

½ cup sliced pear

½ cup cooked, diced mixed vegetables

½ cup low-fat milk

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 cups 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 cups 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, 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)

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 fold dish towels.
I am learning how to pour. I can help pour water into plastic cups.
I can 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.

Take me to the doctor for my check-up.

Help me brush my teeth 2 times a day and floss daily.

We need to wash our hands often. 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.