Josiah, a 22-month-old boy, lives with his mother and grandmother. He is at an early childhood center during the weekdays, and due to his mother’s work schedule does not get home until after 6 p.m. most days. His mother and grandmother allow him to walk around the house with apple juice in a sippy cup while they are preparing dinner. He also “demands” snacks such as crackers, slices of cheese, and cookies. When they attempt to put Josiah in his booster chair at the table, he fights with them and yells, “NO chair!” Mother and grandmother often eat quickly in front of the television while feeding Josiah from their plates while he also watches TV. Josiah’s mother and grandmother are frustrated and are concerned that he is not eating enough for dinner. The early childhood staff also state that they are having a difficult time with him sitting down at lunch time.

Describe how Josiah's mother and grandmother could introduce new foods into Josiah's diet.

To describe: The way in which Person J can be introduced to new foods into his diet by his mother and grandmother.

Introduction: Toddler nutrition establishment is important as it shapes the future health of that toddler as an adult. Unlike infants, the growth of toddlers is comparatively slow and they  stop breastfeeding slowly and depend on solid foods and other dairy products. The health and eating habits must be established during the toddler’s stage in order to avoid complications in the future. Undernutrition in toddlers will lead them to have decreased cognitive function. It is the duty of parents, grandparents, and the persons who take care of them to ensure that they are well fed and they get adequate nutrition.

Person J is a toddler and is 1 year 10 months old who is living with his mother and grandmother. He spends most of the day at early childhood center. Person J consumes apple juice before dinner and strongly expresses the need to eat crackers, cheese slices, and cookies. He is also not willing to sit in the booster chair. Mother and grandmother feed Person J from their plate for dinner while they watch television. Both mother and grandmother have concerns and frustration about the eating habits of Person J and early childhood staff who take care of Person J also say that they find it difficult to make him eat.

The following are the ways to introduce new food products into Person J’s diet by his mother and grandmother:

• Regular and flexible meal times...