If you were to list all topics parents chat about when they get together,

chances are picky eaters would be close to the top. Some kids will only

eat food of a certain colour, others can’t bear different types of food

touching each other on the plate, others love bread and crackers but

won’t touch meat or fruit.

Learning to eat and love food is one of those things that can take time

and patience. Eating is the most complex physical task humans engage

in. It uses all the body’s organ systems; the brain and cranial nerves,

heart and vascular systems, respiratory, endocrine and metabolic sys-

tems, all the muscles of the body and the entire gastrointestinal tract.

No wonder it takes a bit of getting used to.

However having said that, the majority of children seen by professionals

for eating problems are the result of behavioural rather than physical

issues. That is why as caregivers, we have a major role in encouraging

healthy eating habits from day one.

When introducing new foods, a wariness or aversion to new and unu-

sual tastes is a common phase for most children, starting at around 2

and decreasing by the age of 5. The best way for parents to ride through

this period of food

‘neophobia’ is to keep calm, keep positive, and keep presenting a varied

diet. Children may need to see, touch, sniff, or lick new foods many

times before they’re willing to give them a go, so if we remove them

from the repertoire too soon we may limit our child’s choices for the

future. Model adventurous eating yourself, be

interested in food and how it looks, tastes, and smells. If there are foods

you’re not fond of, don’t make a big fuss about it but explain to your

children that tastes develop and change as you get older.

Tips for developing healthy eating habits

• Eat in a calm setting without TV or other distractions, have your child

seated

appropriately and make mealtimes

pleasant occasions.

• Set up rules around food and eating for your household as early

as possible. Discuss these rules with your little ones and – most

importantly – stick to them.

• Be a great role model. Always talk about food in a positive way. For

example, “We eat healthy foods like vegetables to help us run fast”.

Show your kids that you find eating fun and pleasurable.

• Be consistent. Eat all meals, even snacks sitting down at a table. Get

into a routine with regular family mealtimes, including morning and

afternoon snacks, with no snacking in between and all meals eaten at

the table. This will help kids to pick up good eating habits as well as

making mealtimes a great time for the family to communicate with

each other.

• Provide variety including different meal ideas, food types, flavours,

textures and colour. No child is going to enjoy food if the same thing

is put in front of them every day. Offering

different foods enables

your kids to get their full

quota of nutrients.

• Give your child choice.

For example; which two

vegetables would you like;

sandwiches in squares or

triangles; marmite or honey;

mashed or whole potatoes?

Fussy eaters

What seems yucky now might be their absolute favourite in five years time!

Parent ing Winter 09 71

• Offer your child small portions so that they do not feel

overwhelmed by a large plate of food.

• Filling up on fluid may mean there is no room left for food in their

small stomachs. Limit drinks between meals to water and don’t give

any fluid for half an hour or so before a meal.

• Mix food favourites with those not so favourite, and introduce

vegetables as a component of a food – try adding grated carrot to

meat hot pot or peas to potato fritters.

• Try not to rush meals. However, do not extend the time of the meal

in the hope your child will eat more. Limit meal times to 20-30

minutes and take away food uneaten without comment. Do not offer

alternative foods if the meal is not eaten.

• Getting your kids involved in shopping, preparation and cooking is

one sure way to get kids interested in eating well.

How to get your kids involved at mealtimes

Atmosphere is so important. Try not to spend all your energy on

preparing the meal and delivering it to the table, because if you’re

exhausted and irritable then it’s hard for anyone to enjoy themselves.

Kids are much more likely to be excited about a meal they have had some

part in preparing, whether it’s the menu planning, shopping, growing

the veges/herbs, preparing, laying the table, or serving the food. There’s

a way for children of all ages to get involved, so make it part of the

routine. If they can make some choices about what to eat, and rules are

kept minimal and simple, then meal-time is less of a chore and more of

an enjoyable way to be together. Traditions such as lighting a candle,

thanking the cook, or saying grace are good examples of ways to bring

a sense of ritual, safety, and security to the dining table. Children like to

know, “We always do things this way”, so provide those stable markers for

them in their day.

At The Parenting Place we believe ‘family is everything’ so we’ve created a series of 45 Hot Tips brochures to help you make the most of your parenting journey. They’re grouped into four categories: Early Years, Middle Years, Tweens and Teens, and General Parenting.

Early Years topics include:

theparentingplace.com

• Baby-proofing your relationship

• Entertaining baby• Fussy eaters• Getting ready for school• Getting ready for toilet

training• I can do it! Raising a resilient

child• Me time for mum

• Preparing for a new sibling• Sharing• Tantrum taming• Understanding behaviour• Why won’t she stop CRYING!

Brochures are available from theparentingplace.com or The Parenting Place, 300 Great South Road, Greenlane in Auckland, 0800 53 56 59.

The Parenting Place is a not-for-profit organisation working to enhance the lives of families and young people in communities and schools throughout New Zealand. To help us create more resources, Vodafone customers text FAMILY to 7005 to give $5