sips juice (even watered down juice)
or milk, they are getting just enough
energy to prevent true hunger. It really
helps eating habits when children
only drink water between meals and
snacks. A child who’s not hungry is
often picky and definitely not going to
be willing to try new foods.
5
Don’t make a big issue of it
Some parents don’t think it is a
big issue, while some make it more
of an issue than it needs to be. While
correcting this issue is important and
taking the tough love approach is
best, it doesn’t mean parents have to
go overboard with punishments and
creating a negative association with
food. Stick to the rules set out (for
example, trying new foods four times
a week, not getting up from your seat,
eating all the vegetables given) but
don’t make this a fight. Stay relaxed,
especially when things get heated. You
may need to step out of the room to
calm down if things get stressful.
6
Make it fun and get the
kids involved
It is important to talk to your kids
about how their behaviour is affecting
the family and how it will impact them
later in life (i.e. they won’t be healthy,
strong or grow properly). Then get
them to be part of the solution. Let
them help make your weekly meal
plan, let them choose which new food
they will try, take them to the grocery
store and let them take charge of their
new diet. Make sure to stress how
important that food variety is to get all
those vitamins and minerals.
7
Don’t reward or punish
children with food
While this seems simple, in practice it
is very hard. We all do it – rewarding
a child with ice cream when they
accomplish something wonderful,
taking a favourite treat away when
a child misbehaves, or using food as
a distraction to occupy and quieten
a child. It is important that children
only eat when they are hungry. This
reliance on food for entertainment or
self-gratification weaves a complicated
web between food and emotions, one
that notoriously leads to obesity and
poor eating habits.
Though picky eating is a normal
part of development, there’s no
question that it can be a frustrating
stage for parents to overcome. The
key is to stay strong and be consistent
with the rules you have implemented.
A child will not starve themselves,
they will eventually give in. However,
if your child is highly anxious and
demonstrates true phobias around
foods, it is important to speak with a
health care professional. While you
may feel exhausted by your fussy eater,
using these strategies will help you to
have an easier and more enjoyable
mealtime with your children. Healthy
eating has lifelong importance, and
the earlier kids can learn to embrace
healthy eating habits, the better.
April 2016
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