The parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old are concerned about their child's finicky eating habits. While counseling the parents, which statements by the nurse would be accurate? Standard Text: Select all that apply

Question

1. "Nutritious foods should be made available at all times of the day so that the child is able to 'graze' whenever he is hungry."
2. "The child is experiencing physiologic anorexia, which is normal for this age group."
3. "A general guideline for food quantity at a meal is one-quarter cup of each food per year of age."
4. "It is more appropriate to assess a toddler's nutritional demands over a one-week period rather than a 24-hour one."
5. "The toddler should drink sixteen to twenty-four ounces of milk daily."

Answer 1

2,4,5
Rationale 1: Food should be offered only at meal and snack times.
Rationale 2: Physiologic anorexia is caused when the extremely high metabolic demands of infancy slow to keep pace with the slower growth of toddlerhood, and it is a very normal finding at this age.
Rationale 3: The correct general guideline for food quantity is 1 tablespoon of each food per year of age.
Rationale 4: It is not unusual for toddlers to have food jags where they only want one or two food items for that day. So it is more helpful to look at what their intake has been over a week instead of a day.
Rationale 5: Two to three cups of milk per day are sufficient for a toddler; more than that can decrease his desire for other foods and lead to dietary deficiencies. Children should sit at the table while eating to encourage socialization skills.
Global Rationale: