Is your child a picky eater? Have a quick look at the 5 ways to break a picky eating habit in your child.
Picky eating is the cause of malnutrition in kids. If your child is a picky eater, to the point where they refuse to consume things they don’t like the taste or texture of, or sometimes just don’t want to consume, they will be missing out on a lot of foods that are necessary to provide their body with ingredients it needs to grow properly. A lot of fruits and vegetables (and pulses etc…) provide a variety of different nutrients, and a mixture of all these together make up a balanced diet that fulfils all the nutritional needs of your child. When your child starts eliminating certain fruits or vegetables from this collection, it also means loss of those specific nutrients and vitamins in your child, which could ultimately cost your child a healthy growth and development. As a parent you never want your kid to have bad health because of bad food habits, especially because of something that can be very easily remedied. So, given below are some tips and tricks you can try and adopt to try and discourage the habit of picky eating in your child, and establish good eating habits that involve eating all kinds of veggies and different types of food that provide a host of health benefits and are important for growth. -
1. Spice Up the Foods
Kids are often attracted to food that appeases their tastebuds. They love food that is either sweet and sugary or food that is ‘chatpata’ or spicy/savoury. The best way to get children to eat something that is healthy and nutritious is to cook it in a way that appeases to their sugar-loving or spice-loving tastebuds. Add a little spice to the way you cook their veggies, a little seasoning and dressing will not hurt anyone but will leave your kids smacking their lips in satisfaction. Even the boring vegetables look delicious if you add a little spice and/or sauce to it. Kids also love to eat colourful foods, so if you can decorate the plate with lots of colourful food, your kid will instantly empty her plate without throwing any tantrums while eating. A good way to do that is to prepare side dishes that are colourful. For example, if the main dish is rice and dal, you can have colourful sides in the form of sautéd broccoli and carrots. Maybe even chop up a few different vegetables, steam them and then sauté them with a little salt and pepper, or add finely chopped garlic or onions. These are simple tricks that will add a lot of flavour to even the blandest dishes, and make healthy vegetables also interesting to your child. Kids have the most powerful taste buds, which means they can taste foods that are delicious and flavourful, and enjoy such food as well. Spice up the food you are preparing for your kids and see how happily your kid ends up clearing the plate you serve for their meals without being fussy or causing any trouble to you.
2. Have Dinner Together
Researches show that those kids who eat alone at the dinner table or those kids who are fed alone at the dinner table tend to be pickier than those kids who sit with everyone at the dinner table. It has a psychological effect on kids when you sit together for dinner and have discussions on various topics while having your dinner; it distracts your child and diverts her attention from the food. They will very quickly finish their meal while also eagerly taking part in the conversation. Their focus shifts onto socialising, and they are more alert towards the discussion taking place among family members, and will definitely be less fussy about what they are eating as their attention is currently at trying to be done with the food as soon as possible. So to avoid picky eating in your child, sit for dinner together and do not allow anything else to interfere with this quality time being spent with your family.
It also has an added advantage to strengthen the bonding with your kids. Many families adopt this custom of having at least one meal of the day on the table, with the whole family eating together. It encourages bonding with the family. A family that eats together, stays happy together. This is a good trick to avoid your child being fussy with eating, but a greater benefit is definitely the time you will be spending with the family. It works in favour of not only the child but also the elders, as sitting together and eating where they can relax is a good way to open up to each other and talk about how the day has been.
Distraction is one of the reasons the child might be less fussy when eating their meal on the same table as their family, but another good reason why a child might be less fussy about what they are eating might be modelling and social cues. Children often model their behaviour after the elders they respect and have a close bond with. When a child is on a table, in direct view of what everyone is eating, which is the same food that has been served to them, and enjoying it, they are less likely to reject eating that food. “If everyone is eating it and likes it, why wouldn’t I?”
3. Involve Your Child in Preparing the Meal
Almost all kids throw tantrums when they are sreved certain foods or ingredients on their plate which they do not like or maybe are aversive to. A good way to negate that aversion, and encourage your children to at least give it a chance instead of adamantly refusing to taste that food is to try and involve your child in the process of making that food. You can avoid the habit of picky eating by involving your kids in preparing the meals with you. Surely, they will appreciate the experience of understanding the journey of their food from what you pick up at the store to what they are served on a dish. It can also become a very fun and interactive experience for you both as well. You can ask their opinions on what they think will go better with what. This activity will also make them realise the amount of effort needed to prepare each meal, and in turn they will think twice before rejecting any food and truly realise the value of the food, regardless of them liking the vegetable or not. Moreover by handling, touching and smelling the food your child may even start liking the food and be comfortable with tasting the food when served on their plates.
4. Make Special Food
Everyone has their own taste for food. Food is something very close to one, and it is only natural that children want to eat what they like. And it is ok not to like certain foods, we all have certain things we don’t like or don’t enjoy eating. And it is not wise for parents to impose their own decisions on their kids regarding the choice for food always. Listen to them once in a while, and agree to remove the veggies they don’t like or a certain type of food they don’t like. Forcing them to eat food that they don’t like, or food that does not give them satisfaction will not help anyone. If anything, it may end up spoiling their relationship with food, and they might develop an aversion to food altogether. This can also lead to eating disorders later. So while it is important for parents to make sure their children eat food that is necessary to fulfil their nutritional needs, it is also important for parents to realise when to take a break and let their children eat what they want every once in a while.
It is necessary to value your child’s appetite. Kids have powerful taste buds, making them very sensitive to the taste and texture of the things they eat. And they like the foods that are truly delicious and taste good to them. So sometimes take the effort to prepare those foods and dishes that your children like the most and enjoy eating. You will truly enjoy seeing the smile on their face. It can also serve as a reward to urge your kids to eat all the foods that you want them to eat. And if they finish all that are given on their plates, cook them something different and special during weekends and holidays as a reward. Maybe even the things that are not the healthiest option, but they deserve to indulge once in a while and have food that is purely for taste and not nutritional value.
5. Establish Certain Rules
The biggest way to ensure as little fussiness when it comes to food, and everything in general with a child, is to establish discipline. Discipline will not only help you tackle your duties as a parent, but it also helps your child have something stable to rely upon.
Set up meal time rules if you have kids at home. Fix the time for each meal and be strict to your rules. Not only is that good for discipline, but it is also good for their digestive as having meals regularly at set times avoids acidity and other gastric issues.
Another important thing to note is that do not allow your kids to munch on snacks before meals. If mealtime is close and feel snacky or want to munch on something refuse snacks and remind them that breakfast/lunch/dinner is going to be ready in a while. If they are getting hungry, give them a small quantity of fruit or something that would be enough until the food is served. Snacking makes children lose their appetite for eating and kills their hunger. Now their tummies are filled with food that is not that nutritious, but they no longer have the space for food that is actually necessary for them. If the kids are already full before dinner they will automatically start fussing or throwing a tantrum about food and be picky with what they will eat at the dinner table.
Do not rush your kids when they are eating even if they are taking too long to finish dinner. Kids generally take a long time to eat; allowing them that much time to eat creates healthy eating habits in kids. Allowing a long time makes no harm if that means that your kid will empty his plate.
Follow these simple rules or strategies that will discourage picky eating habits in your child, and help them nurture a healthy relationship woth the food they eat. It is not only recommended, but necessary for parents to ensure their children eat properly and get sufficient amount of nutrition from the food they consume that is necessary for growth. Not discouraging picky habits early on can lead to a lot of health complications later caused by a deficiency of various vitamins and minerals. It is very easy to avoid such complications, that may stunt your child’s growth, by simply making it fun for them to consume veggies and fruits, dressing food in such a way that is attractive to them and making them feel more involved in the process of making food. Healthy eating habits lead to them being healthy and fit. It is also necessary for children to eat enough food, and enough healthy food to provide them with the energy they will need to do the many things that involves being active and keeping up with their peers. Eating healthy also boosts immunity, keeps diseases at bay and maintains a happy mood in kids.
How is picky eating habit developed in children? What are the ways to control picky eating habit in children? How to develop healthy eating habits in picky eaters? Discuss here.
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