When a baby or toddler refuses certain foods or doesn’t eat at regular intervals as adults do, it can create tension and anxiety for parents. But children are not meant to eat on command and labelling them “fussy eaters” can lead to life-long issues with food.
That’s the view of paediatrician Dr Iqbal Karbanee, head of Paed-IQ BabyLine, a telephonic medical helpline for pregnant moms and new families. Karbanee explains that childhood is a dynamic phase with plenty of change, so it’s important to be flexible and respond to each child as an individual, ideally without expectation and the pressure of societal and cultural norms!
These are his top tips for surviving the early feeding years and very normal “fussy eating” phase:
- Patience is a virtue and parents may need to offer a certain food to a child on many separate occasions before they stop rejecting it. Just keep trying, while showing your child how much you enjoy the food yourself.
- A child’s stomach is only the size of their fist, so understand that they will only be comfortable eating small portions of nutritious meals and snacks.
- Children will naturally go through phases where they crave more protein or more carbohydrates in their diet. Go with the flow and allow your child to eat when they are hungry. Don’t stress if they skip a meal here or there, rather judge your child’s food intake over an entire week before worrying that there’s a problem.
- Don’t give your child excess fluids like milk or juice, or other snacks between meals. Allow them to develop that hunger so that they can eat in a healthier way.
- Keep mealtimes happy, positive and fun.
- Don’t react if your child refuses food. Provide positive feedback even when their food is only touched, smelled, licked or tasted.
- Parents should only seek professional help if their child is not drinking fluids, not growing well, and/or is becoming anxious or upset around food.
For more information, visit https://paediq.com/
