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Important Information

Preschooler Nutrition

Preschooler Nutrition


Preschool-aged children (ages 4 to 5) are still developing their eating habits and need encouragement to eat healthy meals and snacks. These children are eager to learn, especially from other people and will often imitate eating behaviors of adults. They need supervision at mealtime as they are still working on chewing and swallowing skills.

The following are some helpful mealtime hints for preschool-aged children:

  • Prepare meals, provide regularly scheduled snacks, and limit unplanned eating.
  • Poor behavior at mealtime should not be allowed. Focus on eating, not playing with food or playing at the dinner table.
  • Keep offering a variety of foods. Have the attitude that, sooner or later, your child will learn to eat most all foods.
  • Make mealtime as pleasant as possible. Do not put pressure on your child to eat, or force your child to "clean" his/her plate. This may lead overeating which can cause your child to gain too much weight. Children will be hungry at mealtime if snacks have been limited during the day.
  • Provide examples of healthy eating habits. Preschoolers mimic what they see their parents doing. If you eat a lot of junk food, your child will not learn to eat healthy.

Healthy food choices


The food guide pyramid is a guideline to help you and your child eat a healthy diet. The food guide pyramid can help you and your child eat a variety of foods while encouraging the right amount of calories and fat. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services have prepared the food guide pyramid to guide parents in selecting foods for children 2 to 6 years of age. Choose the proper number of servings from each food group for your child each day.

Contact Information

Driscoll Children's Hospital
3533 S. Alameda Street
Corpus Christi, Texas 78411

(361) 694-5000
(800) DCH-LOVE or (800) 324-5683

For TTY Deaf Messaging Connect to TTY Interpretation by dialing
(800) 735-2989

Patients & Families

News

Brownsville boy is 'a totally different person' since leukemia diagnosis

May 03, 2013
Driscoll Children's Hospital physicians treat Andrew Banda in his hometown, Brownsville BROWNSVILLE - Claudia Maldonado knew her son, Andrew Banda, was sick in January 2012. At 8 years old, he was too thin and his yellowish eyes revealed he had jaundice, she said. Still, the news that he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia...
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Driscoll transplant recipients to gather at annual reunion

May 03, 2013
Joe Esparza, 19, received a kidney transplant at Driscoll Children's Hospital in August 2012.
'It's a family reunion,' 19-year-old said of May 4 event CORPUS CHRISTI - In the months before he received a kidney transplant at Driscoll Children's Hospital last August, Joe Esparza had plenty of reasons to be depressed. His failing kidneys meant he couldn't eat french fries, cheese and fatty foods. He couldn't play...
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Dwarfism doesn't prevent 3-year-old boy from living life

May 02, 2013
Ethann Valdez, 3, was born with achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism. He's been a patient at Driscoll Children's Hospital since he was born.
Ethann Valdez's story is second in Driscoll Children's Hospital's 60th anniversary series CORPUS CHRISTI - Darting around a waiting area at Driscoll Children's Hospital with a huge smile on his face, Ethann Valdez has the seemingly endless energy of any 3-year-old boy. He doesn't appear to be bothered much by the life-threatening...
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Marathon bringing Driscoll weight management patients together

May 01, 2013
Jamie Bluntzer, 20, is preparing for the 2013 Beach to Bay Relay Marathon.
Lap band recipients will run Beach to Bay Relay Marathon as the 'Bandsters' CORPUS CHRISTI - Crossing the finish line at last year's Beach to Bay Relay Marathon was a proud accomplishment for Jamie Bluntzer. At this year's event, she's taking her goal to the next level. "I'm more nervous about it this year," she said...
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Twelve Driscoll patients will be treated to Disney on Ice show

April 24, 2013
WHAT: Twelve Driscoll Children's Hospital patients and their parents or guardians will gather at the hospital's lobby tomorrow and depart for the Disney on Ice show at the American Bank Center, courtesy of H&V Equipment Services, Inc., who purchased the trip for $40,000 at this year's Fiesta de los Niños live auction....
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