Picky, picky – advice for dealing with your fussy toddler

So you’ve tried everything from making aeroplane sounds and motions, to running after your toddler, to eating the baby food yourself to show how yummy it is, just to get your little one to eat one or two spoons of food.

Yet still he refuses to eat, and mealtimes have become a continuous struggle.

Although it can be very distressing for parents, be reassured that in most cases fussiness is a normal phase of development and children are unlikely to come to harm, eating poorly for a short while.

Dietician and Pampers^® Institute expert Claire McHugh offers advice on what you can do to deal with fussy eating habits.

Make eating enjoyable

Remember that getting used to the new routine of meal times and a variety of new foods is part of growing and learning for your toddler.

McHugh recommends that you focus on providing them with a positive feeding environment. “An enjoyable eating atmosphere at meal times helps. Encourage your toddler to sit at the table with the family during meals and let them eat what the family eats, he needs to be exposed to a good variety of food, and when he sees you enjoying the food, this will encourage him to also enjoy and eat his food,” says McHugh.

The freedom of choice

Part of picky eating is your toddler asserting his independence. Let your toddler be involved in his food choices. Avoid giving your child free rein, but allowing them to choose between two healthy options, will help your toddler to feel more in control and willing to eat the food,” suggests McHugh.

Introduce new foods

When your baby refuses textured foods, this doesn’t mean he dislikes it. Children need time to adjust and explore new tastes and textures. Spitting out his first pureed foods is part of his learning and adjusting to a new way of eating.

Spitting out purees are often your baby’s way of telling you he is ready to progress to finger foods. Allow your baby to start experimenting with soft finger foods like cooked pieces of vegetable and soft ripe fruit. This may be messy, but it is a very important stage and a great way to encourage better intake.

McHugh also explains that it can take between 15 to 20 exposures to a new food before your baby gets used to it and accepts it. Offer new foods alongside old favourites, to help keep the meal enjoyable and ensure that something is eaten.

Structured routine is important

Make sure that your toddler gets his meals and snacks at regular times each day. This ensures that they have a good appetite at meal and snack times.

Limit the amount of juice offered and restrict milk to a maximum of 500ml per day. This will ensure that the child isn’t filled up and will have a better appetite for meals, advises McHugh.

Praise him when he does eat his food, but don’t give too much attention to food refusal. In many cases all the fuss created when food is refused can encourage this behaviour.

Don’t force it

As a parent, there’s no denying that the amount of food your child eats can make you really worry about their health. You constantly have to wonder if they have had enough or what to do to make them eat more, but forcing them or shouting at them is not the best way of handling this stressful situation.

Force-feeding your child creates a negative association with those foods and mealtimes and just makes the problem worse.

Persevere; most picky and fussy eaters start eating better over time. However, if your child has excluded a full food group for an extended period, taken only a small number of foods or excluded certain textures, it may be worth seeking professional advice.

Your dietician or doctor can recommend a nutritional supplement to help meet nutritional requirements while the fussiness persists.

”To help meet calorie requirements, accepted foods can be fortified or enriched by adding butter, cream or oil to make them as energy dense as possible,” concludes McHugh.

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