Family Nutrition Planning 

Ensuring a selective eater gets enough nutrients can be challenging. However, with careful planning you can help ensure they receive a balanced diet! Our Registered Dietitian in Saskatchewan will collaborate with you to create a custom strategy for your little one. Some examples of strategies include:

• Gradually introducing new foods. Introducing new foods slowly and in small amounts alongside familiar favorites can be helpful!
• Repeated exposure to new foods. It can take multiple exposures (10-15 times) for a child to accept a new food.
• Include your child in the preparation of the meal. Children are more likely to try foods they helped to prepare!
• Follow the Division of Responsibility. This is a strategy created by dietitian (Ellyn Slatter) which encourages parents to take leadership with the what, when, and where of feeding and let your child determine how much and whether to eat of what you provide. This can help foster intuitive eating and solve feeding issues that may arise when children feel pressured to eat certain amounts or types of foods.

These are only a few strategies your dietitian will explore to help you navigate selective eating to ensure your child recieves the nutrition they need to thrive!

Providing balanced snacks for kids ensures they get a variety of nutrients throughout the day! Our Registered Dietitians will teach you the Four Food Groups that dietitians recommend offering children.

Choosing snacks with two or more food groups is recommended to obtain a range of important nutrients!

Some examples of kid-friendly balanced snacks:

• Apple slices with nut butter or cheese
• Smoothie with yogurt, frozen fruit, milk, and nut butter
• Snack plates with cheese, whole grain crackers, pickles, vegetables, and turkey pepperoni sticks
• Yogurt parfait with Greek yogurt, granola, berries, and a drizzle of honey
• Homemade muffins with whole ingredients like banana, Greek yogurt, oat flour, etc. Example recipe!
• Vegetables served with guacamole, hummus, or tzatziki 
• Air-popped popcorn served with a cheese string or turkey pepperoni stick
• Whole grain toast or sprouted grain toast with peanut butter, banana slices, and a sprinkle of hemp hearts
• Hardboiled eggs with fruit or toast 

Balancing meals for your family involves incorporating a variety of ingredients from each of the four food groups to ensure everyone gets the nutrients they need. Our Registered Dietitians will teach you the Four Food Groups for family and children!

1. Protein
2. Colour (Vegetables & Fruit)
3. Healthy Fats
4. Carbohydrates 

You'll receive grocery lists, recipe guides, and meal planning inspiration to help you feed your family a favorite of key nutrients!

You can help your child obtain the protein they need by offering a variety of protein-rich foods at meals and snacks!

Examples of protein foods include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, cheese, nuts, seeds, and some grains!

Your Registered Dietitian will offer a comprehensive assessment to understand your child's growth and development and determine strategies to optimize protein intake!

Managing food allergies in children requires careful planning and vigilance to ensure their safety and nutritional needs are met. Getting a definitive diagnosis from a medical professional such as a pediatrician or an allergist is an important step in understanding your child's allergy!

From there, booking a consultation with a Registered Dietitian can assist you with careful planning, label reading, and food substitutions to avoid the allergen while ensuring your child meets their nutrient requirements!

Our Registered Dietitians also support caregivers as they introduce allergens at 6 months of age when baby starts to consume solids. Introducing allergens to babies around six months of age is an important step to potentially reduce the risk of food allergies!