An Appetite for Life ― Stress-free Strategies for Feeding Your Child from the Startrom Voracious Eaters to Fussy Eaters, and Every Child in Between

Essential new strategies for parents to feed their baby—no matter baby’s appetite—from groundbreaking research, introduced here for the first time

Parents recognize that all children have different appetites: Some are voracious eaters, others are picky; some refuse to eat when they’re cranky, others overeat. Despite this intuitive understanding, feeding recommendations have taken a one-size-fits-all approach. So, how can a parent know which type of eater they’re dealing with, and how to ensure their child gets the nutrients they need? 

World-renowned, leading researchers Drs. Llewellyn and Syrad have discovered the answers to these questions and more—and now they present their discoveries in this parent-friendly handbook. An Appetite for Life demystifies the ways a child’s food preferences develop in their first 1,000 days—in utero through their second birthday. Laying out essential nutrition guidelines, it describes ways to feed children with varying eating styles at every crucial stage of development—from milk-feeding to weaning to eating with the family. With evidence-based tips throughout, this book helps parents make informed choices about feeding their child during those critical early years, ultimately preparing them for lifelong good health.

Clare Llewellyn, PhD, is a psychologist and associate professor of obesity at University College London, where she leads the Gemini twin cohort study, which explores the “nature and nurture” of eating behavior—the foundation of this book.

Licensed psychologist Hayley Syrad, PhD, researches the role of appetite in relation to what and how young children eat.