Kiddipedia
Fussy eating habits are one of the most common food-related issues among children and can often be quite stressful for parents and caregivers to deal with.
While changes in a child’s eating habits and preferences are normal, fussy eating can become a bigger issue if not properly addressed early on.
If your child has picky eating habits, it is vital to teach your child to honor their body’s needs while also encouraging a healthy relationship with food.
So in this article, we’ll discuss how to support fussy eaters.
1. Don’t Force-Feed Your Child
One of the most damaging things you can do is force your child to finish their meals even if they actively resist.
It is essential to encourage your child to eat but you have to do so gently and carefully. Forcing them to complete their plateful is a harmful tactic that can complicate your child’s relationship with their body and food.
Remember that your child’s crying or resistance is in response to them honoring their body’s needs, and don’t force them to finish a meal they don’t want to eat. If your child’s food resistance is excessive, consider seeing a doctor for a possible food intolerance diagnosis. If your child turns out to have a food intolerance, here is how you can support them.
2. Involve Your Child With The Food
Children are much more interested in trying foods if they have some involvement in preparing or planning them.
You can involve your child in the food prep process by taking them on trips to the grocery store, allowing them to browse aisles, and telling them the names of various fruits and vegetables on display. Talking about groceries, you might want to check out Woolies’ weekly catalogue for good deals.
If your child is old enough, let them into the kitchen to crack eggs, mix batter, or pour out their own milk. Getting hands-on with the food instigates your child’s curiosity and interest, and makes them more willing to try new foods.
3. Offer Variety
It is very important to develop your child’s palette early on by allowing them to sample foods from different groups.
If you only feed your child certain foods, this will later reflect in their eating habits as an adult. Consistently introducing new foods at a young age helps with their later diet, but make sure not to overwhelm your child all at once.
If you are introducing a new food, try pairing it with one they are familiar with. For example, you can serve them a side of asparagus with their favorite meat or add some broccoli to their mac and cheese.
Remember, your child may not immediately try the new food, and that’s okay. This is a multi-step process, and gradual exposure will encourage them to sample various foods eventually.
You can also try to offer new foods when your child is hungry, as they are more likely to accept them at that point.
4. Watch Your Food Vocabulary
Children learn most from observing adults around them and are very likely to take cues from your food language. It is crucial to avoid all kinds of diet talk around young children, as this can translate into negative body image and an unhealthy food relationship early on.
Try and watch how you talk about food in front of your kids. If you personally dislike a dish, don’t actively criticize it in front of your child. As a parent or caregiver, you must model the behavior you want to see in your kid.
5. No Good-Food/Bad-Food Talk
Labeling certain foods as “good” or “healthy” and “bad” or “unhealthy” can cause your child to have unhealthy food relationships from a young age.
For example, referring to chocolates or desserts as “treats” may push your child to crave and demand these items more.
Similarly, enforcing the idea that vegetables are “healthy” foods we “have to eat” will discourage your kid from trying these foods, even if they might like them. Try to avoid attaching labels to food items, and encourage your kid to eat whatever they wish to without any sense of morality attached.
6. Don’t Use Food As Reward
Don’t reward your child’s good behavior or accomplishments by allowing them to eat desserts, chocolates, or snacks.
This again attaches morality and guilt to certain food items and can distort your child’s relationship with these foods. When they learn that certain food items are a “reward,” they crave and demand them even more.
Instead, teach your young one the importance of maintaining a balanced diet and encourage them to eat a little bit of everything.
7. Be Encouraging
It is very important to watch how you speak about your child’s eating habits in front of them.
Saying things like “you’re such a picky eater” or “my child refuses to try carrots” can draw too much negative attention to your child’s behavior and may actually reinforce their picky habits.
8. Patience Is Key
Even when you have incorporated all these tips into your routine, your child’s eating habits will not change overnight.
Fussy eating among children is incredibly common. In fact, one study reported that over 25% of children between 1 and 5 years old are fussy eaters and are pickiest between 2 to 4 years of age.
Remember, your kid is just a smaller human trying to navigate the world, and making too many changes too quickly can severely complicate their relationship with food. It is never too late to start integrating these tips, but remember to be patient and give your child the time and space they need to change.
If nothing works out despite your efforts, you might have to create a behavior management plan for your child. You can learn more about it here.
