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You are > Home > Coping with a fussy eater
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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Coping with a fussy eater
Many children go through a picky or fussy phase, often because they want to assert their independence.
Parents with children with autism, dyslexia or behavioural problems often find their child is particularly fussy when it comes to dinner time, you may find that this is due to food texture sensitivities (smooth, lumpy, chewy, crispy), aversion to food smells or sights, they may have a food “fad” -or overeats one particular food, followed by burn out for that food. Whatever the case may be here are just a few suggestions that may help: -
Don’t use food as bribery. This will send out the wrong message that healthy nutritious food is something to endure and that sugary food is very scrummy. It will only encourage an unnaturally sweet tooth.
Make healthy food choices yourself. Be a positive role model for children about eating for good health.
Make mealtime family time, eat with your children. Keep a regular routine. Don’t offer a snack an hour before a meal, as this will curb their appetite.
Involve your child in planning, shopping and preparing meals. This gives them a sense of control over their diet and are more likely to eat something that they have chosen or cooked themselves.
Serve foods from neutral containers to prevent brand recognition use festive or fun plates with cartoon characters on them.
Serve a particular quantity of a favourite food and do not allow more unless other foods are eaten.
Place no more than 3 foods on a plate .
THINK CREATIVELY vegetables, nuts and seeds etc do not have to be served “as is”. They can be successfully hidden in homemade burgers, chicken nuggets, sauce, desserts think carrot cake (you can hide a lot in here).
Orange and green make brown if you mix an orange vegetable with a green vegetable, the result will be brown and can be hidden in anything that will come out brown naturally, such as homemade hamburgers or any homemade baked foods.
Make small amounts of food as nutrient dense as possible soups, juices, stews.
For the most picky eaters, gradually phase out certain foods, replacing them with healthier choices. Get some feedback from you child (be it positive or negative) and make a list of all the foods your child likes and look for similarities among the foods on the list. Use those similarities to come up with a list of new items to try. I.e. if they are showing a preference for crisps try introducing something similar such as crackers or rice cakes
Make mealtimes playful and positive. Some lively conversation about what happened in their day.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON ACCEPTANCE: A typical 12 month old takes 10-20 tries (that is tasting, not just putting on plate) before accepting a new food. Preschoolers are more likely to accept a food:
When allowed to help with the preparation or setting the table.
When allowed to take small portions of new foods
When eating with parents and/or sibling
When allowed sufficient time. Work consistently towards a nutrient dense diet for the entire family and reinforce with your child that you are actively seeking good tasting food.
Do not be afraid to talk about food. Learn to love experimenting with food and cooking yourself. Above all keep a sense of humour and take baby steps....and don’t give up. ANN GANNON BA(Hons), DipNT, mBANT
Clinic at Cootehall, Boyle 086 8281434
ann@foodbodymind.ie
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