How can I avoid fussy eating?

There is no single way to prevent fussy eating but if you keep these principles in mind, they can certainly help keep mealtimes calm and stress free. 

1. Stick to a routine and keep to it

Little ones thrive on routine. Ensure main meals are not too close to breast or formula feeds or snack times. It’s easy for children to graze across the day, but they are less likely recognise hunger ques or try new foods.

2. Eat together

If your child watches what you eat, they will then learn to eat what you eat. Do not underestimate the power of role modelling, we all have busy lives and it’s not always possible to eat together but even if you can make time twice a week, it can make such a difference.

3. Get messy

Allow your little one to get messy with food by exploring the smell, touch, taste, and sound of eating different foods. Try to resist wiping their face and hands during mealtimes as this interrupts their mealtime experience and can lead to a negative relationship with food, especially if the next mouthful of food tastes of wipe and not food.

4. Keep it fun

This can be as simple as using a different utensil, cutting sandwiches into stars or making a smiley face with fruits and veggies. The more fun it is the more likely that your child will engage, explore, and accept different foods.

5. Avoid pressure

‘Just one more bite’, ‘eat it, it’s good for you’, ‘we are not leaving the table until…’. Mealtime language is so important, and all of these are either forms of pressure or bribery and can push your little one further away. Instead keep mealtime language neutral and keep the focus away from food.

6. You provide, they decide

Also known as the division of responsibility, giving your child choice helps them to learn to love and learn new foods over time while you are still ensuring nutritional balance. A family style set up where everyone serves themselves from the middle of the table is a great way for providing choice and for your child to decide how much they want to eat. 

7. Continue to offer new foods weekly

Yes! It’s so easy to end up offering the same foods because life gets busy, and we all get into mealtime ruts. At around 2 years of age food neophobia is common, this is when children can fear new foods and might be when a child is reluctant to try new foods or completely avoid them. Offering foods alongside familiar foods can help with acceptance or you could try a learning plate. 

8. Try a learning plate

A learning plate is a handy way to expose to new foods. It works by adding a plate with the new food next to your child’s meal. This allows your little one to experiment and explore new foods on this plate while still eating foods familiar to them on their regular plate. 

9. Keep your cool

Easier said than done right? It’s tough if your little one eats a food one day and then not another day for no apparent reason. Remember that food is one thing your little one can control. If you are anxious or upset, they will pick up on this. Whatever you do, don’t force them to eat.

10. Keep going

It may take a while, but regular exposure is key. This includes offering foods in different ways and textures. For example, offering a carrot that could be roasted, mashed, grated or with other foods.

 

Thank you to Lydia Collins-Hussey, Specialist Paediatric Dietitian for writing this blog.

Lydia has over 11 years’ experience in working in the NHS, charity sector and private practice and her passion is helping families cut through the nutrition noise so that they feel confident feeding their baby. Lydia has her own private practice http://www.themilkallergydietitian.com and Instagram @themilkallergydietitian.