Family Health: Picky, Fussy, Faddy
Overweight children and the obesity time-bomb dominates the health headlines currently. Of course it has been the elephant in the room for a while and society now appears ready to discuss it.
I, like many parents, spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get my fi ve year old to eat. Pleading and begging for her to eat anything at all, let alone anything healthy. So what are the best strategies or tactics for the ‘picky eater’ child.
Stick to a routine with three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and tea, with healthy snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Make sure they sit in the same place to eat as often as possible, to help them feel comfortable and secure.
Present simple, healthy food. Don’t ask them what they want. Give small portions, offer praise when it’s fi nished, then offer more. Give tried and tested foods alongside anything that is new, so that the meal looks familiar. Studies have shown that some toddlers need to be given a new food more than ten times before they will accept it.
Eat together. This makes mealtimes more enjoyable and sociable. Ask for a spoonful of your child’s food, then offer them yours. Show your enjoyment by saying ‘yummy’ and giving lots of
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smiles – this will boost their confi dence. Invite their friends round for meals. Toddlers will often accept new foods if eating with other children who like and enjoy that particular food.
If your child will eat only a few foods, build on these. For instance if they like potato, try different types such as mash and roast potatoes. If they reject something they previously enjoyed, don’t worry. Introduce it again later.
Try to keep your cool, even if a meal hasn’t been eaten. If you are anxious and tense, your child will pick up on this and it could make the situation worse. So don’t make a fuss – just take the plate away without comment.
Try not to worry, even if your child’s diet does seem very limited. Research shows that toddlers almost always manage to eat the right balance of nutrients needed for healthy growth and development.
See your GP if your child is losing weight, or seems lethargic, weak and/or irritable.
Dr Mark Bridgman Hadleigh Lodge Surgery
www.thehadleighpractice.nhs.uk
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