Helpful Tips for Parents

• Involve children in food preparation. Children who help prepare a meal are statistically more likely to eat it, even if it contains ingredients they previously rejected.

• Preschoolers do not need dietary fat restriction. Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil, whole dairy) are essential for brain development and are not restricted except on medical advice.

• Picky eating peaks between ages 2–5 and is developmentally normal. Most picky eaters significantly expand their diets between ages 6–10 without intervention.

• Serve new foods alongside accepted foods. A new food appearing next to something the child loves reduces threat and increases willingness to try.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I handle a preschooler who won't eat at mealtimes but is hungry 20 minutes later?

This pattern (refusing meals, requesting snacks immediately after) usually indicates one of three things: the meal's timing is wrong (not actually hungry yet), the meal's composition isn't appealing, or snacks are available too close to meals (reducing mealtime hunger). Maintain a predictable meal and snack schedule: 3 meals and 2–3 planned snacks 2–3 hours apart. Stick to the schedule — food is available at scheduled times only. The brief hunger between scheduled times is mild and temporary; it doesn't harm the child and it resets their appetite for the next meal.

How much dairy should a preschooler consume per day?

The USDA recommends 2–2.5 cups of dairy per day for ages 2–8. This can include: cow's milk, plant-based milk (check for calcium fortification), yogurt, and cheese. Whole milk until age 2; 2% or low-fat is appropriate from age 2 onward. Calcium needs for preschoolers are 700–1000 mg/day — most children meet this through regular dairy consumption and fortified foods. Calcium-rich non-dairy options: fortified plant milks, canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines), edamame, and tofu.

Related reading: See also our breakfast ideas guide and our rainbow snack board guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🤝 Family & Cultural Connection — Sharing meals and preparing traditional family foods connects children to family history, cultural identity, and the social bonds that family mealtimes — one of the strongest protective factors in child development — provide.
• 🧁 Kitchen Science & Math — Cooking is applied chemistry and physics: watching bread rise, butter melt, or egg whites stiffen teaches cause-and-effect science while measuring cups and counting portions deliver authentic math in context.
• 🥦 Healthy Food Knowledge — Learning about different foods, food groups, and what nutrients do in the body builds the food literacy that supports a lifetime of informed, health-conscious eating choices.
• 📏 Early Math Skills — Measuring ingredients, counting servings, comparing quantities, and dividing portions makes cooking and eating some of the most authentic early math experiences available to preschoolers.

Meringues make simple, sweet cookie-like treats perfect for holidays and special events. Be sure to make these when preschoolers are around - the transformation from egg whites and sugar into meringue will astonish them. Use these tips for making a perfect meringue and garnish with your favorite toppings or flavorings.

How to Make Meringue Clouds

2 large egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

1/2 cup superfine sugar

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Step 2:

Allow egg whites to warm to room temperature. Beat together the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla at medium speed until soft peaks form. Continue beating on high speed and add the sugar gradually, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat on high until firm peaks form and you can no longer feel grittiness when you rub a small amount of meringue between fingers (this can take several minutes of beating).

Step 3:

Using two spoons, drop dollops of meringue onto the lined baking sheet. Top with a garnish like dried fruit or nuts, if desired. Bake meringue clouds for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Meringues are done baking when they are dry and crisp. Choose one to test or insert a thin knife to feel if they are dry throughout. Allow to cool slightly in the oven, then remove meringue clouds with a spatula.

Valentine's Day Meringue Clouds

For Valentine's Day, top each meringue with dried cranberries (craisins), creating a heart shape if you can. Or, make a well in the top of the meringue before baking and fill with red jam or jelly or red fruit pieces when cool.

by Kati Chevaux

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Questions to Ask Your Child

Use these open-ended prompts to extend the learning during or after the activity:

• "What does this taste like — can you describe it in three words?"
• "What other foods have a similar color or texture?"
• "Do you think you'd like this more warm or cold?"
• "What does your body feel like after eating something healthy?"
• "If you were going to make this yourself, what's the first thing you'd do?"
• "What would you add to change the flavor?"

There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions. The goal is to keep the conversation going, model curious thinking, and give your child practice putting their experience into words.