Picky Eaters

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Picky eating or Fussy eating can be part of the normal developmental stage of toddlers and young children. 

It typically occurs when children start to develop a sense of autonomy and food preferences.

It can be a stressful period for parents and in extreme cases, it can lead to the child becoming averse to food. 

General Rules to Follow at Mealtime

DO's

  1.  Relax– trust your child when they tell you that they’re not hungry. As long as they are able to participate fully in their daily activities and are not losing weight, there’s no need to worry

  2.  Model– you are the best role model for your child. Model eating as a family at table as often as possible. Model eating a range of food including fruits and vegetables; this will encourage your child to do the same

  3. Teamwork– both parents must adopt the same rules and strategies during mealtime so as not to undermine the other parent’s authority and not to confuse the child

  4.  Be consistent– try to eat at the same time every day. You want your child to develop an awareness of when they’re hungry and when they ‘feel full’. Remember that when a child is ‘starving’, they tend to over-eat and this can lead to obesity

  5. Snacks– offer light snacks (1 or 2) between meals. Avoid snacking throughout the day. You dont’ want your child to ‘feel full’ before mealtime

  6. Portions– offer small portions and use a small plate wherever possible. This will help reduce the child’s stress, which may arise when they see a big plate full of food that they’ll have to finish. Offering small portions also helps to reduce waste. Your child can always ask for more if they want more

  7. Positive reinforcement– praise your child every time they try to eat a new or less preferred food. Compliment them when they eat their meal without a fuss. 

DON'Ts

  1. Stress– remember that when you’re stressed, your child can feel it. You don’t want your child to feel stressed or anxious around mealtime.

  2.  Distraction– remove all distractions (e.g: TV, phones, tablets, loud music), so that your child can focus on their meal, appreciate the different tastes and flavours of their food and develop an awareness of when they ‘feel full’ to avoid over-eating

  3. Bribe– avoid bribing your child; for example by rewarding them with dessert ‘if’ they eat their vegetables. You are teaching them that vegetables are a chore and that desserts are good.

  4. Fight– do not fight with your child, force them to eat or punish them for not eating. This creates a negative atmosphere around mealtime, and this may exacerbate their reluctance to eat or they may even develop the fear of eating

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