email
print
Fussy Eaters
From CopperWiki
Fussy Eaters may be defined as children over one year of age who are more picky than usual about their food. They may be children who genuinely do not like too many new tastes, or children who feel they can assert their independence by challenging their parents on the dinner table. Many young children go through phases after they have been weaned, when they are fussy about food. Doctors and dieticians believe that this is a normal part of growing up, if they continue to be well, active and growing normally. However, if a fussy eater does not appear to be healthy or growing normally, parents should take the child to a physician for assessment.
The term “Fussy eaters” may only be used for toddlers and children -- not for babies who are breast feeding. In babies under one, what might seem like fussy eating might just be that she is not in a comfortable position, or that her nose is blocked due to secretions or because she is being pushed against the breast. If Bottle Feeding, take care that the hole in the nipple is large enough, or the baby might get tired whilst feeding. In a famous experiment, Dr. Davis presented six to eight dishes of wholesome unrefined foods to three 8 to 10 month old babies who had been previously fed only breast milk. He discovered that left to their own devices, the babies chose what was generally accepted as a balanced diet, even though their appetites varied from day to day. Davis concluded that babies somehow have a natural ability to eat in a manner that does not harm their development.
The question is, if babies have an inherent ability to select a healthy diet for themselves, how do they develop into fussy eaters? Most dieticians tend to believe that fussy food habits are acquired, not innate.
Contents |
[edit] Why Some Children Turn Into Fussy Eaters
The causes of picky eating may differ at different ages. Younger children may associate particular foods with an unpleasant event (for example, if your toddler throws up after eating an orange, she might believe that the orange made her sick).
Researchers have found a relationship between fussy eating and soft foods. Introduce lumpy foods (semi-solids bits of cooked soft vegetables or food that is mashed with a fork) as early into your child’s diet as possible. Research shows that if you expose your baby to a wide variety of lumpy or chewy foods between the ages of six and nine months, this will broaden her food appreciation and reduce the likelihood of fussy eating later on. Researchers at Bristol University in England have discovered that delaying your baby’s introduction to lumpier foods may contribute to fussy eating habits later on. They found that one in five babies who were not given lumpy foods until they were 10 months or older, were fussy eaters by the age of 15 months. In comparison, babies who were introduced to lumpy foods between the ages of six and nine months, showed fewer food fads.
Fussy eating habits that emerge a little later may have different roots. Some mothers are so anxious about their children’s diets that they communicate their anxiety to their children, who in turn, develop into fussy eaters. Other parents, especially of underweight children, turn the dinner table into a battleground. Their children are likely to retaliate by becoming very fussy about what they eat.
Fussy food habits that develop around the age of three may have yet another rationale. Some children at this age use food fads to control their parents.
However, some children may just be picky eaters because they genuinely do not enjoy too many tastes. In such cases, food fads could have a very early onset.
[edit] Did You Know?
- If you are a fussy eater, chances are high that your toddler will also turn out to be one.
- Often, children use dinner table tantrums as a means of exerting some control over their own lives.
- Less works better than more on a fussy eater's plate -- when you put tiny helpings of food on a child's plate, s/he is going to be more likely to try it. Lots of food heaped on a plate is likely to turn him/her off.
[edit] When Your Fussy Eater is not Growing Well
If your child is fussing about food, and you observe any of the following signs, consult your doctor or healthcare provider.
- She is not eating well and also complains of a stomach ache, indigestion or diarrhea.
- She is teething.
- She has a cold and a blocked nose.
- She is tired and lacks energy.
- Her weight is below the normal range for children her age.
- Her skin and hair look undernourished.
[edit] Ways for Parents to Cope with Fussy Eaters
More often than not, parents of fussy eaters find their children are growing normally and are attaining all their developmental milestones on time. The first time a child fusses about her food is understandably a confusing time for parents. Here are some dos and donts for them to follow at this stage --
- It is important to remain calm and comforting. Always keep in mind the fact that the child will not willingly starve, and when she is hungry, she will eat.
- Never scold her for not eating. Instead, take her plate away as soon as she says she does not want to eat.
- Often, children develop food fads when they are too young to indicate their preferences to parents. To find out what sort of tastes your child enjoys, offer her a variety of foods and observe what she picks up. Does she seem to like sweeter tastes? Offer her different fruits, carrot and beetroot. Does she seem to prefer sour flavours? Give her lemonade, citrus fruits and yogurt.
- Never force her to eat a specific food.
[edit] How to Entice a Fussy Eater to the Dinner Table
It is the role of parents to ensure that the foods from which a child can choose are nutritious and appealing. Here are some tips which may entice your fussy eater to the table –
The first thing to remember is that you are your child’s most immediate role model. So if you have a couple of food fads yourself, your child will also be likely to develop some. Make healthy and nutritious food choices for yourself, and eat your own food with apparent enjoyment.
Create a mealtime that is pleasant and relaxed. It helps if the family eats together, so your child can see and emulate older people on the table. Give your child the same food you eat. Let there be conversation on the table, so the child begins to see dinnertime as fun, instead of a punishing routine.
Talk about food; this may encourage a child to eat. Tell her what you like to eat, and why. Encourage her to watch food being cooked, or vegetables being peeled. Let her help in an age-appropriate manner – for instance, she could help peel boiled potatoes or shell peas.
If possible, give your child a choice between a couple of dishes on the table (for example, let her choose to eat either carrots or peas, and decide whether she would like a slice of bread or a baked potato).
[edit] Tips for coping with Fussy Eaters
Many parents of fussy eaters declare they have tried all the tricks in the book to get their children to eat, but they have all been to no avail. If the child is developing well otherwise, all they can really do is learn to cope with their child’s food fads. Here are some tried and tested strategies.
- Recognize the fact that your child is not as enthusiastic about dinner as you would like her to be. Serve her smaller portions of food – some children get put off if they see a mountain of food on their plates.
- Always keep in mind the fact that children do not have control over many things in their life – but what they eat is a notable exception. Often, a fight over a food is more likely due to the child exercising her little voice than an aversion to the food itself.
- Limit snacks and drinks between meals. Drinking too much liquid can lessen your child's appetite. If your child wants a drink, offer them after a meal so that they don't ruin the appetite.
- Make meal times, social occasions. One strategy that sometimes works well is to invite friends of your child who have better appetites. Invite a friend of the child who has a large appetite. Or else, you could invite an adult that the child likes for dinner (like an uncle or friend). Sometimes a child will eat for someone else without any fuss.
- If your child is playing with his food, quietly remove the plate with no fuss.
- Do not substitute milk for meals.
- Every few days, try making menus that the rest of the family enjoys. Include one or two items that the fussy eater avoids, she may eat the items not knowing they are there. For instance, if she does not eat carrots, grate them into cutlets or salad, or if she does not eat eggs, stir them into a hot Chinese soup. Disguise foods she is averse to -- for example, bottle gourd and cauliflower impart little extra flavour to soups.
- Never bribe your child to finish her food. Do not promise, for instance, a juice or a slice of cake or any treat to your child, as a reward for eating the food on her plate. This sets up an unhealthy association and relationship for children with their food.
- Look for nutritious substitutes to foods she is averse to. If she does not like veggies, give her fruit instead. If she eats only bread, try topping it with peanut butter or a tomato and cheese topping to make it more nutritious.
[edit] How to Introduce New Foods to a Fussy Eater
One of the biggest challenges that parents of fussy eaters face is to try and introduce new foods into their children’s diets. Remember, statistics show that around half of all toddlers refuse to eat a new food at least half of the time. Here are some tips on how to introduce new foods to your child --
- Offer new foods when you know she is hungry and more receptive to new tastes.
- Only offer one new food at a time – sometimes children get overwhelmed if they see too many new foods on their plates.
- Allow her a few days to adapt to a new taste before moving on to something else.
- Another strategy to get your fussy eater to try something new to eat, is to let her taste it from your plate – it is less overwhelming than the sight of a strange food on their own plate. When it comes to introducing new foods, a ‘taste’ can be as small as half a teaspoon!
- Try serving a small taste of a new food with larger helpings of other foods that the child has already accepted and enjoys.
- Try getting her interested in the new food. For instance, if you are in a farm, point out vegetables she has never eaten to show her how they grow. She might be more willing to try them if she finds them interesting.
- Sometimes, parents find their fussy eaters are more willing to try new foods when they are on holiday, or in someone else’s house. A change of scenery may encourage them to try new tastes, and even if it does not, at least you would have had a holiday whilst trying!
- After attempting all these strategies if you find your child is still unreceptive to new tastes, do not worry. Just keep encouraging her to try new foods. All throughout, stay positive and remember -- this is just a phase that she will soon grow out of.
