Feeding Children That Are Fussy Eaters

As a grandmother I have had many a disagreement about what my grandchildren were eating, but now I have great grandchildren, and times have changed so much, parents do not seem to mind what they eat as long as they are eating something.

So I feel a bit of a fool now when I think how my grandchildren must have felt, and maybe even disliked visiting me as they knew they would be made to eat their vegetables, (which was the main food I could not master,with my grandchildren, I had no problems with my own).

Oh dear how times have changed, but with these changes, I have learned not to stress, (like I used to), about kids food choices.

Most families have fussy eaters, so maybe some of my ideas will help cope with that child that only eat sweet things like cake and puddings, cheesecake and ice cream, just stop the food fight, and let children eat, I have found that in the end it all works out and children grow to be healthy adults.

Don't overreact

The most important thing to remember about food and children is to never, ever make it a drama (which I did, dear-me).

The moment you express concern or anger at your child for not eating something, you are turning it into a behavior that your child may well repeat. Children love attention, even if it is expressed in anger.

So just remove uneaten food at the end of the meal. This doesn't mean your child will never eat that food again, they just did not feel like it then.

Set a good example.

If you are going to sit at the table and moan about how much you hate Brussel sprouts or some other food you are not keen on, then so will your child. Eat healthy foods you enjoy - don't just eat them because you think you should.

Children love routine.

Serve meals at a regular time and don't be afraid to offer the same meal several times a week if they like it.

They might like only half a dozen types of food and be happy to eat only those and nothing else forever that's okay, the main thing they are eating, and as they grow older they will add other foods to their likes, and dislikes. Every food has an alternative, if they don't like milk, try yogurt where there are many different tastes which one must suit them, or cheese.

If it's vegetables, offer then fruit, or a texture problem, such as chewing (many children have that problem), offer them mince or sausages.

Don't despair if they only eat a little.

They are better off having small meals with snacks in between than eating three big meals.

Starting to feed baby,(they say about 6 months of age these days,) is if you establish it, very early, will make smart eating routines, and habits, by introducing a wide variety of tastes and textures, baby will accept this tastes, as a toddler, and progress as the years go by eating all they are feed.

Yes! they really do, and if you are freaking out because the want to eat sponge cake and cream, eventually it will all be gone and they will find some other food that they will want to eat and in most cases, it is healthy food.

Sit down and take note of everything they have eaten over a four-day period. You will find that they do naturally select a variety of foods.

If they are poor eaters check, that they are not filling up on fluids before a meal, (as I know from sitting back and watching that if a child can find, what they call bubbles (lemonade) they will fill up on that.

One last thing, get your child involved in preparing meals, like setting the table, tossing a salad, it may be just the thing that inspires them to try eating it.

A child will almost certainly eat most things they do not like, if you offer them sweets as a reward if they try it, it does mean they will like eating that food in fact, they probably will hate it for life, and they will not know what you are talking about , when you talk about the starving children in Africa.

Yes, it is hard not to feel pressured as a parent to make sure you child eats all the right foods to keep them healthy.

If you only buy your groceries once a week like I do, keep your fruit and veggies in the chilling bin in the fridge for freshness and put out a few pieces of fruit every day, as it keeps the food fresher and still tastes nice, bananas I keep in an opened plastic bag on the bench, they stay fresh for a week without going brown, but never put bananas in the fridge, that will make them go brown.

Last of all, if you can help them to learn good food habits that, it will stick with them for the rest of their lives, they will thank you for it later in life.

Parents always want the very best for their child's health, but sometimes it's a real challenge to get a child to eat, if not sure, check the internet that provide detailed nutritional guidelines, for healthy eating, for a vegetarian child to eating meat, also the overweight child, which can be a big health risk later in life.

On the whole, if you are healthy with the food you eat, well to a point that is what your child should be eating, I know sometimes it is easier said than done.

Happy mealtimes, that's important to the whole household - Enjoy!