The first year of a child, is marked by rapid growth, when compared to the interval between infancy and adolescence. These are the formative years of a child; crucial in developing eating and feeding skills, individual food preferences along with learning to control body functions, interacting with others and behaving in a socially acceptable way. It is this time frame that is most perplexing for parents, as there is always that ounce of doubt whether adequate nutrition is being provided for the child's full rounded growth. As wholesome development is occurring in this stage of the child's lifecycle, a wide range of nutrients are required too.
The foods available to and accepted by the child are determined not only by parental food selection, but also by the meal time environment, peer pressures, advertising and the child's previous food experiences.
Children accept simple, unmixed dishes more willingly at room temperature, neither hot nor cold. Food preparation is important. Children recognize poorly prepared food and are likely to refuse it. Most children eat foods with which they are familiar. Small portions of new foods can be introduced with familiar and popular foods. Even if the child only looks at the new food or just feels or smells it at first, this is a part of learning about it and accepting it. Dry foods are especially hard for preschool children to eat. In planning a menu, a dry food should always be balanced with one or two moist foods. For example, it is wise to put a slice of bread, relatively dry with mint, tomato chutney or mayonnaise which are slightly more sauce based. Also, combination of sharp, rather acid- flavoured foods with mild- flavored foods are popular with young children and they are pleased to find colourful foods, such as red tomato, capsicum, carrot sticks, included in their meal.

Unskilled hands
Foods eaten easily with the unskilled and seemingly clumsy hands of a young child are very important. Many small pieces of foods, such as cooked peas or beans, are difficult for a child to spoon up. Foods can be prepared so that a child can eat them with the fingers. Hard cooked eggs may be served in quarters, cooked meat can be cut into small strips, and cooked green beans can be served as finger foods. Children like oranges that have been cut in wedges, skin and all, much better than peeled and diced oranges. Mixed up salads, when there are layers of food to be eaten, are much more difficult to eat than are simple pieces of raw vegetables with no salad dressing.

Parental concern
Occasionally, anxious or concerned parents need help with food sources of nutrients usually supplied by food refused or in establishing limits to the preschooler's food intake and feeding behaviour. Of the commonly expressed concerns, limited intakes of milk, refusal of meat and vegetables, too many sweets, and limited intakes of food appear to cause the most problems. Parental concern about the type, variety and quantity of foods their young children consume are often based on the sometimes annoying and frequently time-consuming but developmentally appropriate behaviors the child demonstrates around food and feeding rather than on intake of nutrients to support nourishment.

Milk
It is important to recognize that 30 ml of milk supplies 36 mg of calcium and many children receive approx 180 ml of milk on a dry cereal daily. Although they consume only 30 ml at one time, their calcium intakes may be acceptable when they consume milk with meals and snacks. When abundant amounts of fruit juice or sweetened beverages are available, children may simply prefer to drink them instead of milk. Other dairy products can be offered when milk is rejected.
Cheese and curd are usually accepted. Powdered milk can be used in recipes for soups, vegetables, and mixed dishes. Fruit juice may replace milk and consequently, essential nutrients in the diets of young children. Excessive consumption of fruit juice has been implicated as the cause of chronic nonspecific diarrhea.

Meat
Parents' perceptions of children's dislike of meat may need to be clarified, or an easier to chew form used. If, in fact, preschoolers do consistently refuse all food sources of heme iron, their daily intake of iron should be monitored. Sources such as beans, spinach, broccoli, carrots, eggs and peanut butter are good substitutes to meat.

Vegetables
When vegetables are consistently refused, small portions of 1 to 2 tbsp should continue to be served without comment and should be discarded if the child does not eat them. Preschool behaviour modification programs that include token rewards when children consume vegetables have been found to increase children's acceptance and intake of them.

Sweets
Parents concerned about children's excessive intake of sweets may need help in setting limits on amounts of sweet foods they make available to their children.
It may be important also to help parents convey their concerns about the need to set limits on the availability of these foods. Other family members, day care providers, and teaches may need to be involved in the plan for change

Food intake
If children's food intakes are so limited that their intakes of energy and nutrients are compromised, parents may need help in establishing guidelines so that the children develop appetites.
They should provide food often enough so that children do not get so hungry that they lose their appetite, yet not so often that they are always satiated. Intervals of 3-4 hours are often successful. Second portions should be offered only when the first helpings have been consumed. Attention should always be focused on children when they eat, never when food is refused.
The author is a member of Health Professions Council, UK