Health Tip: Teach Your Child to Eat Well

(HealthDayNews) -- Getting your child to eat enough nutritious foods is a tough assignment.

So here are some suggestions from the University of Nebraska on how to make mealtimes more enjoyable:

• Involve your child in meal preparation. By allowing your preschooler to take part, you may spur your child''s interest in a new or unfamiliar food.
• Include at least one of your child''s preferred foods.
• Prepare foods with a variety of colors and textures. This will create interest and increase the number of foods your child will accept.
• Use child-size portions. A good gauge is one tablespoon of food for each year of the child''s age.
• Maintain a consistent schedule. Try to serve each meal before your child becomes overly hungry, tired or irritable.

-- Anne Thompson