Many parents face the challenge of
dealing with children who are picky eaters.
We all know kids who refuse to eat
healthily, preferring to eat junk food.
Rejecting fruits and vegetables or
refusing food due to its colour (greens) or texture are common problems many
parents face. It seems as if no matter how hard adults try, there is no way of
getting some children to adopt good eating habits. However, there are solutions
to this seemingly unsolvable issue.
David Pattaway from health store
GNC, a father of two, says that the best way to prevent pickiness is to promote
healthy eating when your children are young. He adds that “once children aren’t
given junk food or candy, they won’t miss it.”
Giving children healthy
alternatives to junk food from the outset is a good way to ensure a healthy
lifestyle as they grow up. However, what can parents and caregivers do to promote
healthy eating patterns and to tempt fussiest of eaters?
Strategies
Organise consistent meal times.
This way your child will know how much time is allocated for eating.
Minimise distractions at meal times
(television, video games), so that the purpose of this time is clear.
Introducing new foods is often
easiest when combining them with foods that your child is already familiar
with. By combining a favourite food with a healthy one, new tastes and textures
are introduced gradually to immature palettes in a way that is fun and
non-threatening.
Involve them sometimes when
preparing meals. A fun way to do this is to have them sprinkle cheese and fresh
veggies on a homemade pizza, and then take it from there.
Try using condiments to enhance the
taste of healthy foods; look beyond ketchup and salt as there are so many
different options out there.
Try to make meal times stress-free;
if meals are a time for family arguments, your child may develop negative
attitudes towards eating.
Try new foods as a family, as this
puts less pressure on your picky eater, offering a higher chance of success.
According to hospital dietician
Simone Sheehan, a balanced diet is critical for growth and brain development
and research shows that for children having healthy growth patterns will
influence their health in
adult life.
“In fact, obese children have a
higher prevalence of obesity in adolescent and adult life.”
She said that a balanced diet
should consist of all the different food groups, preferably in the same meal.
The dietician also highlighted the importance of variety, adding that picky
eaters weren’t just those who were underweight but included obese children who
had a very limited diet.
She advised that every meal should
contain adequate calories, protein, vitamins and minerals, which are crucial
for growth. When asked for tips to encourage a balanced diet in picky eaters,
the dietician had many suggestions. She recommended blending vegetables to
create sauces or bases for meals. She also suggested including a mixture of
flavours and serving meals on exciting plates. Not offering snacks between
meals, she added would also build up a child’s appetite and make them less
resistant at meal times.
“Even little children can
understand that they can manipulate adults’ behaviour by eating food”, she
added.
“Encourage the same pattern of
eating and keep your child seated in the same place so as not to distract them
focusing on their meal.
Children can also be rewarded when
they eat sensibly which will in turn reinforce the need for them to adopt and
maintain healthy eating habits for life.
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