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Article by Lovely Ranganath...
FEEDING YOUR CHILD – DIFFICULT EATERS
Food is one of life's greatest pleasures and yet it's also a source of worry for most parents – especially if your child refuses to eat or is terribly choosy. It is extremely rare for a child to actually starve him or herself. Children will eat enough to keep them going. So try not to worry unless your child is clearly not gaining weight as he or she should, or is obviously unwell. Some young children are “difficult eaters”, but in many cases the real difficulty is with a parent who expects the child to conform to an eating pattern that doesn't suit him. It may be that your child is picking up your own feelings about food. Perhaps you are a dieter or have a weight problem, or maybe you just see healthy eating as a very important goal. If your child is picking up on your anxiety it may be that mealtimes have become an ideal time to get attention. Just as anxiety may cause problems with toilet training, it can also create problems with eating. If you approach feeding problems with sympathy and a flexible attitude, they will usually just disappear. So, try to take a step back and think about how much of a problem there really is. In some cases, there may be a genuine problem, such as intolerance to certain foodstuffs, or allergy, and you should then consult your doctor. Never attempt to determine and isolate a food allergy on your own. Food preferences: In the second year, your child will start to show likes and dislikes for certain foods. It is very common for children to go through phases of eating only one kind of food and refusing everything else. For example, he may go for a week eating nothing but yogurt and fruit, then suddenly go right off yogurt and start eating nothing but cheese and mashed potato. Don't get cross with your child about this and don't insist that he eat certain foods. No single food is essential to your child and there is always a nutritious substitute for any food he refuses to eat. As long as you offer your child a wide variety of foods, he will be getting a balanced diet, and it is far better for him to eat something that he likes (even if it is something you do not approve of) than to eat nothing at all. The one thing you must watch out for is your child refusing to eat all foods from a particular group: refusing fruits or vegetables of any kind, for instance. If he does, his diet will become unbalanced, so you will have to think of ways of tempting him to eat fruit and vegetables, perhaps by cooking the food in a different way or by presenting it imaginatively. Refusal to eat / Eating very little : Not eating is an early indication that your child may be unwell or unhappy, so observe him carefully. If he looks pale and fretful and more clumsy than usual, check his temperature and speak to your doctor if you are worried. As long as your child eats some food from each of the five food groups – even if it's always the same old favourites – you shouldn't have to worry. Gradually offer other food choices. Or why not go back to the foods your child didn't like earlier and try them again? Remember, if your child is active and gaining weight, he or she is probably getting enough to eat however little it appears to you. Tips for success Offer your child the same food you're giving your family, and eat your meals together if possible. Give smaller portions and praise your child for eating even a little. If your child rejects the food, don't force-feed him or her. Remove the food without comment. Don't leave meals until your child is too hungry or tired. Don't use sweet food as a reward for finishing meals. To a child this might be saying, ‘Here's something nice after eating those nasty greens'. Reward them with a trip to the park or watching a video instead. Limit in-between-meal snacks to, for example, a milk drink and a small cracker with a slice of cheese. Your child knows that refusing to eat will annoy you, so try to stay calm. Eating with your child and eating the same foods will help to encourage good eating habits. If your child fills up with juice or squash between meals and refuses milk or a snack, try gradually reducing the amount, diluting the drink well with water, and offer a small amount of food first. Sometimes too, children mistake thirst for hunger and say they are thirsty when really they are hungry. Try to make mealtimes enjoyable and not just about eating. Sit down and have a chat about other things. If you know of any other children of the same age who are good eaters, ask them over to your place. A good example sometimes works, so long as you don't go on about how good the other children are. Ask another adult, whom your child likes, to eat with you. Sometimes a child will eat for, say, a grandparent without any fuss. It may only be for one meal but it can break the habit. Your child may just be a naturally slow eater, so lots of patience will be needed. Children's tastes change. One day they'll hate something, a month later they'll love it. There will nearly always be enough that your child is willing to eat for some variety (say beans, fish fingers and fruit, potatoes and milk to drink). It may be boring, but it's perfectly healthy. PARTY TIME ! Parties are a great time for children to experience different types of foods. It's a special occasion, so offer foods normally kept for teats as well as some familiar everyday foods. Try some of the following healthy party food ideas. Offer bowls of plain popcorn, breadsticks, carrot sticks and baby tomatoes. Fill tiny sandwiches and cut them into different shapes. Use fillings that cut easily- cheddar cheese spreads, egg, mayonnaise, etc. Make reduced-sugar jellies and add slices of canned or fresh fruit. Offer one or two ready-diluted fruit juices to drink rather than carbonated drinks. Decorate small plain biscuits with cheese spread and a small piece of fresh or canned fruit to add colour. Serve ice-cream with fresh or canned fruit. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS : Q. What snacks can I give instead of biscuits or crisps? A. Try some of these suggestions: A drink of milk Plain yogurt with a banana sliced into it Slice of toast with cheese or chicken Some crackers, breadsticks or rice cakes with cheese A bowl of cereal with milk A piece of fruit Q. What should I pack in a lunchbox for my three-year-old when she goes to the nursery? A. Try to choose two savoury options, some fruit, a sweet option (yogurt, fromage frais, scone, or currant bun) and a drink. Fill sandwiches with canned tuna or salmon, mashed banana, hard or cream cheese, or peanut butter (but beware of food allergies). Add a few vegetable sticks of carrots, peppers or cucumber to munch on and a container of ready washed and bite-size fruits – seedless grapes. A box of raisins is fine if eaten at lunchtime. If you include a yogurt or fromage frais, don't forget a spoon. A piece of kitchen towel is always useful. Buy a leak-proof beaker so you can give water or diluted fruit juice. Q. My child refuses to drink anything but sugary drinks. A. If sugary drinks are drunk frequently, teeth are at high risk of decay. If your child will only drink sugary drinks, it can take some time to break the habit. Start by diluting these really well with water and offer in smaller quantities, in a beaker. Q. I've heard that a high-fibre diet is unsuitable for young children. Why is this? A. Foods that contain a lot of fibre (wholemeal bread and pasta, brown rice, bran-based breakfast cereals, etc) fill up small tummies, leaving little room for other foods. Bran also prevents important minerals from being absorbed. It's good for your child to try different varieties of starchy foods, but don't use only wholegrain foods until your child is five. Q. How do I discourage a relative from giving sweets to my child? A. Suggest a present of a small book, pencil or other non-edible gift instead. You could keep sweets to a special ‘treat' day, once a week. Remember that the number of times that teeth come into contact with sugars is as important as the amount of sugar that is eaten. Sweets are best eaten in one go rather than over the course of an hour or two. Keep them for mealtimes, when do least damage to teeth. Lovely Ranganath Dietician Al Zahra (Pvt) Hospital, Sharjah & Al Zahra (Pvt) Medical Centre, Dubai

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