Fussy eating
Picky or fussy eating is a common problem all parents face at some point often making mealtimes a misery. In most cases it's just a phase but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with and many parents become stressed when food is refused.
Here is a simple list of the most important Dos and Don’ts to help overcome fussy eating.
| Do | Do Not |
|---|---|
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Limit a child’s milk to 1 pint/day. Leave the drink to the end of a meal. |
Allow a child to fill up on milk, juice or fizzy drinks before or after meals. |
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Allow a child to drink water when thirsty. |
Offer an alternative when a meal is refused. Make a fuss when a meal is refused. |
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Give excessive praise when meals are eaten. Offer new and previously refused foods every few days. |
Assume if it is refused today, it will be refused for life. |
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Give choice between 2 non-favourite foods. |
Give choice between 1 liked and 1 disliked foods. |
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Offer 3 meals & 3 snacks a day. Be inventive - use an ice tray and put different bite size foods in each section. |
Go for long periods without food. |
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Limit meal times to 30mins and snacks 15mins. |
Have long drawn out meals. Follow child with food when they leave the table. |
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Eat with children, and make mealtimes a happy family occasion. |
Let children eat on their own. |
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Make fun food when time allows eg. Milkshakes, banana splits. Involve children in baking. |
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Keep a list of foods children will eat and add the new foods in a formal fashion. |
Allow your frustration to become obvious. |
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Buy individually wrapped food eg. Yoghurts, cereals & crackers. Reading a story at meal times can serve as a distraction so a child “forgets” about his/her food fad. |
Allow children to eat while watching television as a distraction tool. |
