Overcoming children’s picky eating

Picky eating is a very common complaint among the parents. Children who are picky eaters usually prefer a particular food or would like rather play than eat anything at all. This is frustrating experience for most parents. However, there are some simple strategies to help the picky eater to eat a balanced family diet.

After the first year of life, a toddler’s appetite decreases quite a bit as the rate of growth slows down. Appetites and food preferences can fluctuate a lot in young children. So look at the whole picture of how your child eats over weeks rather than any given day or meal. The parents should be reassured that the lack of interest in food is probably temporary and that attempts to force-feed not only are futile but also are likely to result in more severe feeding problems.

Children's strong likes or dislikes of particular foods become apparent after approximately 1 yr of age, and if possible and practicable, they should be respected. But avoid cheeps, juice, cold drinks or fast foods. Infants should be allowed to feed themselves as soon as they seem physically able to do so, usually long before 1 year of age. Approximately by 6 month of age, infants can hold a bottle, hand-held foods can be introduced by the age of 7–8 months. The infant may be allowed to use a spoon as soon as he or she can hold it and direct it to the mouth, usually between 10 and 12 mo of age. Mothers often inhibit this important learning process because of its messiness, but it is an important aspect of the infant's overall development and should be encouraged.

By the end of the second year of life, infants should be largely responsible for feeding themselves. Introduce new foods one at a time and in small amounts, instead of an entire meal of unfamiliar foods.

Minimise distractions at the table. If a sibling is running around nearby or a cartoon beckons from across the room, your toddler may lose interest in the food being served. Try to make meals relaxed and quiet. Make variation into foods. Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters. Do not give same food everyday. Serve a variety of brightly colored foods. At home, encourage your child to help you rinse veggies, stir batter or set the table.

If your child is not hungry, do not force a meal or snack. Likewise, do not induce or force your child to eat certain foods or clean his or her plate. This might only ignite or reinforce — a power struggle over food. In addition, your child might come to associate mealtime with anxiety and frustration. Serve small portions to avoid overwhelming your child and give him or her opportunity to independently ask for more.

If you are concerned that picky eating is compromising your child's growth and development, consult your child's doctor.

The writer is a Registrar at the Department of Paediatrics of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

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