Family Environment. The Family has the major influence on the food habits of Toddlers and preschoolers.

Families can provide

the appropriate role models and reinforcements that will most likely bring about desirable food habit changes. Nutrient intake was found to
be more adequate for children who had positive adult companionship at mealtime. Time of eating ,Foods liked or disliked, location of eating and
watching television were the parental habits that mostly influenced children s behavior .The influence of parents on childrens Food behavior
decreased as the amount of time spent working outside the home increased.
One of the basics responsibilities of a parent or caregiver is to provide nourishing food that is clean, safe and developmentally appropriate.
Contrary to common belief, Children do not have innate ability to choose a balanced, nutritious diet. Thus parents are responsible for providing
a variety of nutritious foods .A positive feeding relationship includes division of responsibility between parent and children. Parents provide
safe, nutritious foods as regular meals and snacks and children decide how much, if any, they eat. Ellen Satter states that the parent is
responsible for what is offered ; the child is responsible for How much to eat. Children should not be forced to eat and foods should not be used
for reward of punishment of bad behavior .Feeding and nutrition problems during childhood may result from inappropriate parent-child
interactions
It is possible to set up a home environment that fosters the development of desirable eating patterns in young children. The atmosphere
around food and mealtimes is an important factor that influences attitudes toward food and eating .A positive enviroment is one which
sufficient time is aside to eat, occasional spills are tolerated and conversation that includes all Family members are tolerated.
Societal Trends. There are more mother now who work or are employed outside the home .Therefore, t hey do not have much
time to prepare meals for their families nor teach their children about good eating habits. They often have to rely on other to cook for them or
they either purchase fast foods or convenience foods.
Recent reports by the government estimated that close to four in 10 people in the Philippines are poor, living on less than p38 pesos a day.
Poverty incidence stood at 39.4 % of the population in the year 2000, up by 2.6% over the 1997 figure according to the National Statistics
Coordination Board survey of family income and expendicures. Translated into households, 33.7% of all families lived below the poverty
threshold (annual per capita amount required to satisfy food and non-food basic needs) , up by 1.9% from 1997. It was P13, 823 in 2000, up
22% over 1997 threshold. Thus , a Family of six should have a montly income of P6,911 to meet their food and non-food basic needs.
Media. Mass media especially television affects childrens requests for and attitudes towards food.Children are susceptible,vulnerable
and responsive to carefully crafted messages of consumption .Preschool children are unable to distinguish commercial message from the regular
program .
TV influences eating habits and the nutritional status of children in several ways:
1. TV advertising influences family food purchases and snacking patterns of children.
2. The use of food as depicted on TV shows food being used for many activities other than to satisfy hunger.
3. The few overweight children used on TV suggest that inappropriate use of food have no impact on health.
4. There is a relationship between increased TV watching and increased snacking.
5. TV encourages inactivity and passive use of leisure time so it is deprimental to childrens growth and development. Children spend
more time watching television than going to school or do any other activity.
Parents must set limits on the number of hours that children watch TV and should help them interpret Food message seen on the
screen. They should not be persuaded by their children to buy non- nutritious Food seen on the TV
Illness or Disease
Children who are ill have decreased appetite and limited food intake. Acute illness of short duration may require increase in Fluids. Protein and
other nutrients .Chronic conditions may make it more difficult to obtain nutrients for optimal growth. Children with illnesses are more likely to
have behavior problem or Family struggles around food. Children requiring special diet have to adjust to the limits of foods allowed besides
issues of independence and peer acceptance , as they grow older
Development of feeding patterns
The goals for the development of food patterns are as follows:
1. Children should be able to eat in sufficient quantities the foods are given to them, just as they take care of their other daily needs.
2. Children should be able to manage the feeding process independently and with dispatch, without either necessary dawdling or
hurried eating.
3. Children should try to eat new foods in small portions the first time they are served to them and to try them again and again until they
like or at least willingly accept them.
Some techniques to help parents develop desirable eating patterns in children:
1. The parents as gatekeepers must recognize that the kinds of foods available to preschool children in the home are what they buy
and provide.
2. Parents must decide which of their own food patterns they want to pass on to their children. Some parents need to know that they
can change their own food patterns and may even need to help to do this.
3. Parents must understand why children eat as they usually do to set up an environment that promotes a healthy appetite. They should
understand what causes a certain behavior in children.

`The following are recommendations to assist children in developing desirable food patterns:
1. All foods should be well prepared and attractive in color, flavor and texture so that the child will approach the meal and eat it happily.
Children appreciate an attractive plate and they eat with great enthusiasm when there are variety of textures and flavors in the meal
2. The environment for eating should be suitable for the ability and comfort of the child.
3. Feeding should occur in a relaxed and pleasant environment that fosters healthy digestion and pro-social behavior.
4. A child is expected to have a good appetite and to be hungry when in good physical and emotional health.
5. Appetite is fostered if the child is hungry and happily excited over the fact that it is mealtime.
6. Pleasant associations with the food are fostered if the meal can be eaten successfully with reasonable effort. They should come to the
meal rested and the eating process should not be tiring. Fatigue often defeats childrens desire for food.




Feeding the Pre-school Child
Energy foods
Fats and Oils
Fats help the body make use of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K.
Body building foods
Growth building firm and strong muscles, giving energy and helping keep the blood healthy.
Regulating foods
Vitamins and minerals
Preschool children do best with small servings of food.
Snacks should be those dense in nutrients and should not promote dental caries.
Lukewarm food
Children should not be given food or drink within 1 hours of a meal as this leads to a decrease in appetite.
Daily recommended amount of food for Preschoolers
Equal sizes
One cup cooked rice (160 grams) = 5 pieces pandesal , about 15 grams each; or 4 slices bread, about 17 grams each;
or 1 1/3 cups cooked cornmeal. 270 grams or 1 cup cooked kamote or about 1 small kamote, 170 grams.
One serving mean = raw lean meat: 60 grams or about 1/3 cup; cooked dried beans: 300 each as purchased; or medium sized egg: 2
pieces or about 50 grams each.
One serving of fruit = one medium sizes fruit or one sliced of a big fruit.

Children are at risk for choking on food
Some guidelines for preventing choking :
1. Children should eat sitting down
2. An adult should supervise children while they eat.
3. Foods on which preschoolers (ages less than 3 year s) often choke.
4. Well-cooked foods.
5. Eating in a car should be avoided.
6. Rub-on teething medications can cause problems with chewing and swallowing because the muscles in the throat may also become
numb.
Food groups 1-3 years old 4-6 years old
Energy foods
Rice and other cereals 2 1/3 cups, cooked 3 cups, cooked
Rootcrops 1 small piece 1 small piece
Sugars (for milk, fruit juices) 6 level tsp. 6 level tsp.
Fats and Oils 5 level tsp. 6 level tsp.
Body building foods
Milk, whole 1 cup 1 cup
Fish/Meat/Poultry 2/3 serving 1 serving
Egg egg egg
Legumes, Beans or Nuts cup, cooked cup, cooked
Regulating foods
Green leafy & yellow vegetables cup, cooked cup, cooked
Vitamin C-Rich foods (papaya, or dalanghita
or mango, etc.)
3 Tbsp. serving
Other fruits and vegetables (banana, or
avocado, or tsiko, sitaw, eggplant, etc.)
2 Tbsp fruit and 2 Tbsp vegetables, cooked servings fruit, cup, vegetables, cooked


Table 17-1A. Weight (kg) for age of boys and girls 0-72 months
Instruction for use
Upon computation of correct age in months, look for the point where the childs age in-months in the first column intersects with the actual
weight of the child in the column corresponding to the childs sex.

Age
(months)
Boys Girls
Below Normal
<-2SD
Normal Above
Normal
<+2SD
Below
Normal
<-2SD
Normal Above
Normal
<+2SD
from to from to
0 2.3 2.4 4.3 4.4 2.1 2.2 4.0 4.1
1 2.8 2.9 5.6 5.7 2.7 2.8 5.1 5.2
2 3.4 3.5 6.8 6.8 3.2 3.3 6.1 6.2
3 4.0 4.1 7.7 7.8 3.8 3.9 7.0 7.1
4 4.6 4.7 8.5 8.6 4.4 4.5 7.7 7.8
5 5.2 5.3 9.2 9.3 4.9 5.0 8.4 8.5
6 5.8 5.9 9.8 9.9 5.4 5.5 9.0 9.1
7 6.3 6.4 10.3 10.4 5.8 5.9 9.6 9.7
8 6.8 6.9 10.8 10.9 6.2 6.3 10.1 10.2
9 7.1 7.2 11.3 11.4 6.5 6.6 10.5 10.6
10 7.5 7.6 11.7 11.8 6.8 6.9 10.9 11.0
11 7.8 7.9 12.0 12.1 7.1 7.2 11.3 11.4
12 8.0 8.1 12.4 12.5 7.3 7.4 11.6 11.7
13 8.2 8.3 12.7 12.8 7.5 7.6 11.9 12.0
14 8.4 8.5 13.0 13.1 7.7 7.8 12.2 12.3
15 8.6 8.7 13.2 13.2 7.9 8.0 12.4 12.5
16 8.7 8.8 13.5 13.6 8.1 8.2 12.6 12.7
17 8.9 9.0 13.7 13.8 8.2 8.3 12.9 13.0
18 9.0 9.1 13.9 14.0 8.4 8.5 13.1 13.2
19 9.1 9.2 14.1 14.2 8.5 8.6 13.3 13.4
20 9.3 9.4 14.4 14.5 8.7 8.8 13.5 13.6
21 9.4 9.5 14.6 14.7 8.9 9.0 13.8 13.9
22 9.6 9.7 14.8 14.9 9.0 9.1 14.0 14.1
23 9.7 9.8 15.0 15.1 9.2 9.3 14.2 14.3
24 10.0 10.1 15.7 15.8 9.3 9.4 14.6 14.7
25 10.1 10.2 15.9 16.0 9.5 9.6 14.9 15.0
26 10.2 10.3 16.1 16.2 9.7 9.8 15.2 15,3
27 10.3 10.4 16.3 16.4 9.8 9.9 15.6 15.7
28 10.4 10.5 16.6 16.6 10.0 10.1 15.9 16.0-
29 10.5 10.6 17.8 16.9 10.1 10.2 16.1 16.2
30 10.6 10.7 17.0 17.1 10.2 10.3 16.4 16.5
31 10.8 10.9 17.2 17.3 10.4 10.5 16.7 16.8
32 10.9 11.0 17.4 17.5 10.5 10.6 17.0 17.1
33 11.0 11.1 17.6 17.7 10.7 10.8 17.2 17.3
34 11.1 11.2 17.8 17.9 10.8 10.9 17.5 17.6
35 11.2 11.3 18.0 18.1 10.9 11.0 17.8 17.9
36 11.3 11.4 18.3 18.4 11.1 11.2 18.0 18.1
37 11.4 11.5 18.5 18.6 11.2 11.3 18.3 18.4
38 11.6 11.7 18.7 18.8 11.3 11.4 18.5 18.5
39 11.7 11.8 18.9 19.0 11.4 11.5 18.7 18.8
40 11.8 11.9 19.1 19.2 11.5 11.6 19.0 19.1
41 11.9 12.0 19.3 19.4 11.7 11.8 19.2 19.3
42 12.0 12.1 19.5 19.6 11.8 11.9 19.4 19.4
43 12.2 12.2 19.7 19.8 11.9 12.0 19.6 19.7
44 12.3 12.4 19.9 20.0 12.0 12.1 19.8 19.8
45 12.4 12.5 20.1 20.2 12.1 12.2 20.1 20.2
46 12.5 12.6 20.4 20.5 12.2 12.3 20.3 20.4
47 12.7 12.8 20.6 20.7 12.3 12.4 20.5 20.6
48 12.8 12.9 20.8 20.9 12.5 12.6 20.7 20.7
49 12.9 13.0 21.0 21.1 12.6 12.7 20.9 21.0
50 13.0 13.1 21.2 21.3 12.7 12.8 21.1 21.2
51 13.2 13.3 21.4 21.5 12.8 12.9 21.3 21.3
52 13.3 13.4 21.7 21.8 12.9 13.0 21.5 21.6
53 13.4 13.5 21.9 22.0 13.0 13.1 21.7 21.8
54 13.6 13.7 22.1 22.2 13.1 13.2 21.9 22.0
55 13.7 13.8 22.3 22.4 13.2 13.3 22.2 22.3
56 13.8 13.9 22.6 22.7 13.3 13.4 22.4 22.5
57 13.9 14.0 22.8 22.9 13.4 13.5 22.6 22.7
58 14.1 14.2 23.0 23.1 13.5 13.6 22.8 22.9
59 14.2 14.3 23.3 23.4 13.6 13.7 23.0 23.1
60 14.3 14.4 23.5 23.6 13.7 13.8 23.2 23.2
61 14.5 14.6 23.7 23.8 13.8 13.9 23.5 23.6
62 14.6 14.7 24.0 24.1 13.9 14.0 23.7 23.8
63 14.7 14.8 24.2 24.3 14.0 14.1 23.9 24.0
64 14.9 15.0 24.5 24.6 14.1 14.2 24.1 24.2
65 15.0 15.1 24.7 24.8 14.2 14.3 24.4 24.5
66 15.1 15.2 25.0 25.1 14.3 14.4 24.6 24.7
67 15.3 15.4 25.3 25.4 14.4 14.6 24.9 25.0
68 15.4 15.5 25.6 25.7 14.5 14.6 25.1 25.2
69 15.5 15.6 25.7 25.8 14.6 14.7 25.4 25.5
70 15.7 15.8 26.0 26.1 14.7 14.8 25.7 25.8
71 15.8 15.9 26.3 26.4 14.8 14.9 25.9 26.0
72 15.9 16.0 26.6 26.7 14.9 15.0 26.2 26.3