5 Helpful Tips For Feeding A Fussy Eater

Children are in a constant state of growth, and this growth is quickened through good nutrition. Sadly, many children develop a love-hate relationship with lots of foods, becoming picky eaters. Dealing with a fussy and picky eater can be frustrating for parents, but thankfully, there are ways to get around the situation. This post provides helpful tips that will enable you to transform your fussy and picky eater into a lover of all kinds of meals. Always remember, don't stop giving certain foods after only the first refusal.

Involve your child in cooking and shopping
One way to indulge a fussy eater is to give them the task of helping you shop for ingredients. When grocery shopping, ask your child to help you select vegetables, fruits, and other healthy ingredients. If your child is fussy about their proteins, consider tiger prawns UK for high quality prawn selections. Choose only items your child is willing to try, and once you're home, get your child to help wash the ingredients and do other activities, such as setting the table and stirring the batter.

Stick to a routine
If you can, and you should try to, stick to a feeding routine. To expand, this means serving your meals and snacks simultaneously every day. The idea behind keeping routines is to ensure that your child always has something to consume, even if they turn down the main meal. Between all meals and snacks, offer your child water, juices, and milk with the meals themselves. The idea is to help keep your little one full long enough, decreasing their appetite for meals at odd times.

Respect your child's appetite
And also, respect your child's lack of appetite. Don't force your little one to eat a snack or meal if he isn't hungry. While your child eats, don't make clearing the plate a hard and fast rule. The only thing you'll get out of this is a child who intentionally rebels against your orders to receive a reaction. The downside to enforcing hard and fast rules during mealtimes is your child associates mealtimes with anxiety and frustration. Your child might become less sensitive to hunger and fullness cues, a trait they can grow to struggle with.

To make mealtimes less overwhelming, serve all dishes in tiny portions, and wait until your child asks for a second helping.

Don't offer replacements
One of the worst things you can do is indulge a fussy eater. Indulging, in this instance, refers to preparing a separate meal for your child when they reject the original meal offered. Instead of making them another meal, have your little one stay at the table throughout your mealtime. Doing this helps elevate your child's curiosity concerning the meal you've prepared. When done repeatedly, your child will most likely experiment with tasting the meal and might ultimately enjoy mealtimes.

Don't offer rewards
If you can help it, offer dessert as a reward for eating certain meals. On the flip side, don't threaten to withhold dessert from a child who is fussy about meals—doing the former only increases your child's desire for sweet foods.

The best thing to do is substitute typical dessert options for healthy ones such as yogurt and fruits.

A fussy eater isn't going to change overnight, so as a parent, you must learn to be patient with your child, taking small steps every day to get them to enjoy healthy eating.

*Collaborative post