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Is fussy eating normal?
It is normal for young children to request the same food over and over again, to dislike certain textures, and to be rigid about how they want their food to be presented to them. Neophobia often starts around the time the child is 18 months old, and it is normally a phase that passes with time. Fussy eating/picky eating is normal even beyond toddlerhood, and it is common for a child to eat well until around the age of 1 or 2, then become more picky. This can be frustrating or even distressing for parents.
What can a parent do?
There are a lot of strategies you can explore to help your child overcome this phase and to model healthy, joyful, positive eating behaviours. When parents make a big deal out of their child eating or not eating something it teaches the child that food is something they can manipulate their parents with. Therefore, it is good practice for a parent to approach eating as a normal thing we all do, not an achievement the child needs to be praised for. Staying unemotional and neutral is the way to go. Showing stress and anxiety, coaxing or pushing the child to try something or to eat more than they want is not ideal. Studies show that parents’ controlling behaviour in this area can lead to eating-related problems in adult life (Puhl and SchwartzPuhl and Schwartz, 2003).
Some things to try:
- include children in shopping for/preparing the food, as children are more likely to eat something they helped make.
- eat together as a family, as opposed to serving the food to the child alone and then watching them eat. Making it a sociable, family event can model good eating behaviours and it also takes the focus away from the child. If you are stuck for conversations, try these creative conversation-starter flash cards.
- don’t praise or scold, stay neutral
- at the end of the meal don’t comment on how much the child has eaten
- offer a wide range of foods and keep offering them ( but not every day) at subsequent meals even if they are refused the first time
- rotate the food you offer to the child to avoid ‘food jag’, don’t have the same lunch every day for weeks on end. If your child develops a food jag it is ok to take a break from that food, but don’t eliminate it completely from the repertoire
- don’t give huge portions that can overwhelm the child
- don’t get stressed out over mess
- as tempting as it is, don’t try and distract your child with an iPad so you can sneak some food into their mouth. You want your child to be aware of eating and be an active participant in it.
When is fussy eating a problem?
Although fussy eating is stressful for parents, most fussy eaters don’t fall into the category of disordered eaters, and the strategies above, coupled with time and patience will see you through to the other end.
However, you should consult a professional if eating evokes extreme fear or distress in your child, they exclude entire food groups or they start losing weight.
For information and advice on healthy eating, check out First Steps NutritionFirst Steps Nutrition
