Don't Give Up on Fussy Eaters

If you worry that your child is a fussy eater or does not eat enough, you are not alone. A recent study found that 82% of parents and carers felt that their pre-schoolers' food rejection was a concern and 41% were worried about children being fussy about food.

In fact, when asked about common parenting problems, parents and carers rated only financial concerns and children's illnesses as being of greater concern than refusing food.

Anna Lynch is a clinical nutritionist who specialises in children's health and diet. She says the problem of fussy eating is a common one that must be handled correctly to avoid toddlers confining themselves to an overly-restrictive diet as they grow older.

‘Research has shown that a child may need to be offered a new food 8-10 times before they will accept it, yet many parents and carers give up if the child continues to refuse the food after a couple of attempts'.

Anna advises parents to avoid making a big issue about rejected food.

‘It's important to persevere with new foods,' she says. ‘If a child rejects a food, try it again a few days later in a different way. For example, if your child has refused sliced avocado, next time try mashing it and adding to a cheese sandwich, using it as a topping on a home-made pizza or simply adding a squeeze of lemon juice to change the taste sensation.'

She recommends that parents should consider varying the taste, texture and temperature of a rejected food before offering it again.

‘Experiment with herbs and spices, puree vegetables to add to pasta sauces and offer foods both hot and cold.' she says. ' A child who refuses to try hot porridge might prefer a cold breakfast - so soak the oats in milk or water overnight and then add some berries, grated apple or cinnamon for sweetness. Often it is just a case of being inventive and trying new ideas'.

Another of Anna's tips is to choose the best time of day to offer a new food to your child.

‘You will have greater success if you pick a meal when your child will be hungry but not too tired. Some children are always ravenous at breakfast but cranky by tea time. Others might only eat a small breakfast but are really hungry by morning tea or lunch time.'

She suggests that parents experiment with meal locations too.

‘If the high-chair or kitchen table has become a battleground, try having lunch in the garden, at a friend's house or with some favourite teddies in the park. Distraction techniques such as these, when the food is not the focus, can really help.

Anna recommends linking the qualities of a food with something that a child feels strongly about.

‘If your three-year-old son wants to play rugby like Daddy when he gets older, tell him that eating his beans is the best way to grow tall and strong and be a fast runner. This is usually far more effective than the standard ‘eat your vegetables because they're good for you' response.'

Anna also advises that eating together as a family as often as possible is a great habit to get into.

‘Most pre-schoolers will eagerly look forward to a ‘grown-up' dinner, so make it an occasion with place-mats, safely positioned candles and some background music. You might be amazed at what your child will eat!'

Anna Lynch, Children's Clinical Nutritionist, is part of the professional children's health team at Kids First Children's Services. For more information, visit www.kids-first.com.au or call (02) 9938 5419

Notes:
Fussy eating statistics taken from a Newspoll Australia survey conducted on behalf of Kelloggs. The telephone survey canvassed 375 parents and carers with children between the ages of two and four.