Children's Food Attitudes and Preferences

Children's food attitudes and preferences are developed at a very early age and are strongly influenced by the attitudes and preferences of the adults who care for them/as well as by the child's cultural and family heritage.

It is important for caregivers to assess their own attitudes and food preferences, because their example will have a strong influence on children's attitudes. Caregivers should try to understand and accommodate cultural food patters.

The child's age also influence food preferences. For the infant, food may represent security and love; for toddler, food may also be a source of interest and experimentation, or it may be used to express frustration. This behavior is not unusual and if occasional/should be seen as part of the child's normal development. Food should not be used by adults as reward, a way to control or coerce the child, or as a focus to work out conflicts..