How to Deal With Fussy Eaters: An Expert Recommends Tips for Parents

Most families today have busy schedules and continue to hustle through the day, to get all the work done, be it children or adults. This makes it hard for a household to sit down and savor homemade meals on a daily basis. Most of a child’s diet is inconvenienced due to (1) lack of proper preparation and (2) involvement of a lot of takeout/ ready-to-ear food, which can be unhealthy. This tend to have a negative effect on the health of the child, which subsequently develops into lifelong diseases. Over time, when homemade food is offered to a child, they refuse to eat it, and develop a particular taste to outside food, making them a fussy eaters.

By developing methods to inculcate healthy eating habits in your child, you can provide them a nutritious diet, thus making him a fearless eater. Teach your children the pros of eating healthy and make them aware of the consequences of unhealthy eating habits. Here are a few tips you could follow:

The food label reading game

Put out a list of food ingredients which are part of the meal. Introduce the whole family to this game by making them ready out the contents and its nutritional value. This will help them learn what’s good for their health and also make them more conscious of what they eat.

Setting an example for your child

If you prepare a meal at home which includes meats or vegetables, make sure to consume them yourself in front of them. Tell them a story on how by eating such foods while growing up have made you strong. Avoid any negative comments; the same attitude can be picked up by your child. Refrain from counting calories in front of your child too, this could lead them to develop body image issues at an early stage and have negative attachments to certain foods.

Guiding choices

Stock an array of healthy food items and keep them stored in the house. Avoid purchasing unhealthy options like chips, soda, juice, etc. This practice will help your child pick out healthier options, without forcing them to do so, eventually making it a habit.

Eat meals as a family, at least twice a day

Inculcate a habit of sitting down together as a family and spend at least two meals together (maybe breakfast and dinner). Refrain from arguing or scolding at the dinner table, make the experience as pleasant as you can, conversing and sharing the days experience. This will also help your child to open up to you on other issues; they will also be less stressful while eating.

A trip to the supermarket

We all know how excited children get when taking them to the super market. Make sure to involve your children in shopping for food and while preparing meals. These activities will give you an idea about your child’s preferences; make sure to share details on nutritional value on foods available. Helping out in the kitchen will also make the child more willing to try what they help prepare.

Fix snacks timings

Continuous snacking may lead to overeating, but snacks that are planned at specific times during the day can be part of a nutritious diet, without spoiling a child's appetite at meal times. You should make snacks as nutritious as possible, without depriving your children of occasional chips or cookies.

This article has been contributed by Jaee Khamkar, Dietician, Fortis Hospital, Kalyan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2018 05:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).