Sunday, February 26, 2012

Teaching the Fussy Eater

By Paloma Novikov


Toddlers can be choosy eaters who refuse to try a new food at least half of the time. Around half of all toddlers match these criteria, so it is obvious why food issues are a source of stress for parents.

Starting healthy eating habits is significant to prevent problems like obesity and eating disorders later in life. Numerous methods may help your kid accept a wider range of foods. It might be essential to offer a food to your kid as much as 10 various times before they choose to eat it. The issue is, a lot of parents get irritated and give up before the fourth or fifth try.

Try to make foods fun. Colorful foods like carrot sticks, raisins, apples, grapes, cheese sticks and crackers can all be fun and healthy choices for your growing toddler. Explain to them that eating good food is important so they'll grow big and strong, and how it will help them run faster and play longer.

Children learn behaviors from their parents. Should you restrict yourself to a narrow range of foods, your kid will take notice and copy your caution. Do not restrict your child's food selection to only those foods you want. It might be that your child's tastes may vary to yours, and maybe you're simply serving them foods they do not happen to like. Try to set one example and try a variety of foods in front of your kid. It could inspire them to do the same.

If your kid appears healthy and energetic, then they are eating enough. If you are still concerned, keep close track of how much food they actually eat over the day. Children usually graze consistently, as opposed to restrict their eating to three meals per day like adults. You might be amazed how those little handfuls and snacks mount up. For more reassurance, check your child's growth and weight charts, or consult with your little one's pediatrician.

Try not to worry, and don't forget, that unless of course a kid is ill, they'll eat. Kids are great at judging their hunger and fullness signals. Try to stay relaxed about mealtime and offer your kid a wide range of foods, and more importantly, be sure you set a good example by trying a wide selection of foods yourself. You may discover you and your toddler share a new found favorite food!




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