Many children are fussy eaters. Although it is entirely normal, it can be frustrating and hard to handle – particularly when there’s always at least one mother whose angelic offspring eats everything and still asks for second helpings of broccoli.
If you’re graced with a fussy eater in the family, I’d like to share some tips on how to handle it.
First, a word about fussy eating…
Children frequently have an issue with the appearance, taste, smell, and texture of food and the way it is presented on the plate.
You might also find they will like something perfectly well one day, but dislike it the next, as well as refusing to try new foods. It might drive you mad, but this is all part of a child’s development. It’s a way of exploring their environment and asserting their independence. And – as a side issue – it’s also because their appetites go up and down, depending on how much they’re growing and how active they are.
It WILL get better. Fussy eating is generally something that children grow out of. Their palates change as they get older and they don’t need to exert quite the same level of control over their environment and, very gradually, something resembling normal family eating can resume…
How to make mealtimes better
Your child’s willingness to try food will depend partly on the eating environment. There will be times when you want to tear your hair out. This will have the opposite effect of what you are hoping to achieve.
Try these steps for a low-stress mealtime:
- Make mealtimes happy, regular and social occasions. Don’t worry about mess made on tables or drinks spilled. Turn the TV off, so family members can talk to each other instead.
- Have realistic expectations. Encourage your child to try tiny tastes of new foods (all the family should join in too) and you could do this away from main meals to take away the emotion and avoid pressure of expectation (e.g. as a starter, or a tasting game). Don’t forget to praise your child for every small effort.
- If your child is fussing, ignore it as much as you can. Giving attention to fussy eating can encourage your child to keep behaving this way. Never force your child to try a food.
- Make healthy foods fun – whenever you have the time. Cut sandwiches into interesting shapes, arrange the food to form a face, or let your child help prepare some of the meal.
- Set a time limit of about 20 – 30 minutes for meals. Anything that goes on too long isn’t fun. If your child hasn’t eaten the food in this time, take it away – but don’t offer your child more food until the next planned meal or snack time.
- Put a small amount of any new food on the plate with familiar food your child already likes – a piece of broccoli alongside some mashed potato. Encourage your child to touch, smell or take a small bite of the new food.
- Make the food attractive. Offer your child a variety of different colours, shapes and sizes and let your child choose what they eat from the plate.
- Don’t give up at the first hurdle. Keep offering foods that have been refused before. It can take 10 to 15 times before they even try a taste of a food they previously refused. Frustrating? Yes! Consider that you are training them for the future.
Sometimes your child will refuse food just because this gets an interesting reaction from you. If children refuse to eat a food, it doesn’t necessarily mean they dislike it – after all, they might not have even tasted it yet. They might just be putting on a show of independence to see what you’ll do. Be prepared and consider what your response will be – this scenario will occur!
Consider this: children learn by testing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. It’s all part of their social, intellectual, and emotional development.
How to introduce new foods to fussy eaters
- When possible, look for opportunities for your child to share meals and snacks with other children – they might be more willing to try a food if other children are eating it.
- Serve your child the same meal the family is eating, but in a portion size your child will eat. Sometimes children need to take their cue from parents – play the game of vocalising how yummy the food is.
- Don’t let your child fill up on drinks or snacks before introducing new foods. They are more likely to try the food if they’re hungry and there isn’t a better option around the corner.
Punishments & rewards
Punishing your child for refusing to try new foods can turn new foods into a negative thing. If your child refuses to eat it, you can offer it to them again another time.
It’s tempting to offer your child food treats just so he ‘eats something’ – for example ‘If you eat your vegetables, you can have a biscuit’. But this can make your child more interested in treats than healthy food. Of course, you have to decide on your house rules, but this sends the message that eating healthy food is a chore.
It’s easy to worry, if your child refuses food, whether they are actually eating what they need to grow and thrive. If your child has enough energy to play and learn, they are probably eating enough.
If you’re worried, book a FREE 30-minute health & wellness call. Find out how improving your child’s intake in small easy to manage steps, can make big changes to your child’s health.