As long as your child is growing normally, she is most likely getting enough to eat, even if she seems to just push food around her plate.
It’s quite common for children at this age to have trouble sitting still for meals, eat irregularly and to be very picky about what they will eat.
You may be tempted to try to force your child to eat more, but you really shouldn’t. The more pressure you put on her, the more she is likely to resist and the less she will eat. Instead, offer her a good variety of healthy foods and let her see you eating them too, so you set a good example. Allow her to choose what she wants to eat herself and how much.
The important thing to remember is that normal growth is the best indicator of adequate nutrition, so if your child is maintaining adequate growth in both height and weight then she is getting enough calories. Your child’s GP will be able to help determine this.
While your child may be getting enough calories to grow, you may be worried that she’s getting enough calories from the right sources. It may be a good idea to record what she is eating for a week and then using the food pyramid see if she is missing foods from a certain group. If she is, try offering more foods from that group for a while. You could also speak to your child’s GP to recommend an appropriate multivitamin to help meet your child’s nutritional needs.
