Don't Fuss About Picky Eaters
Yesterday your toddler loved beets and couldn't get enough green beans. Today, she wants nothing to do with them and only eats animal crackers. It's enough to drive a health-conscious parent to distraction.
But it's nothing to worry about, says Kathy Santoro, MEd, RD, LD, CSP, a dietitian on the Feeding Team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
"Children by nature like something one day and not the next, but it's not related to food," Ms. Santoro says. "That's just the nature of toddlers. As they learn their environment, they learn what they like and what they don't. And they want to exert their independence."
An Issue of Control
To be sure, every child is born with a genetic predisposition to like sweet and salty foods, Ms. Santoro says. A taste for bitter and sour foods develops later with repeated exposure to those flavors.
What influences whether we like or dislike food, however, has to do with much more than those flavors. "It's the feel, the sight, the smell of food," she says. With children, however, picky eating may have little to do with any sensory or flavor issues. "It's more about control."
That struggle for control isn't one parents can win, nor should they try, Ms. Santoro advises. "Avoid the pitfall of forcing food. Begging, bartering, making deals – all those things need to be avoided. As soon as you make eating a source of contention, it becomes a battle. Instead, provide food choices, encourage children to try a wide variety of foods, and set a good example yourself."
Parents can set that example by eating a balanced diet themselves and having nutritious snacks around. As for getting children to eat veggies, persistence often pays. "You need to introduce food repeatedly," Ms. Santoro says. "They may not like green beans 10 meals in a row, but on that 11th meal, they may not think it's so bad."
Most children, especially young ones, don't eat three well-balanced meals a day, she says. "But over the course of the week, things balance out pretty well. Just keep an eye on the big picture and offer a wide variety of foods."
Developing New Tastes
She suggests involving children to help them develop an appreciation for those harder-to-swallow foods, such as veggies. "Try having them help with shopping. They can pick a new food to try each week, then help wash and cook it," she says.
Many children enjoy raw vegetables they can dip and eat as finger food – but it's important that they're old enough to chew hard or stringy veggies properly without risk of choking. She counsels against coating vegetables with sugar to make them more palatable.
Parents can also help reduce pickiness by making mealtime a relaxing, enjoyable experience rather than one done on the run, in the car, she says. "Children are more likely to try a variety of foods then, because they see their parents eating it."
Children's cravings or dislikes are seldom causes or signs of health problems, Ms. Santoro says. "If your child is happy and developing physically, socially and cognitively, being a picky eater is not a problem."
Children who fail to gain weight or grow usually have other health problems not linked to eating habits. But parents who have concerns should always ask their pediatrician, she says.
"If parents are really worried, they can give children a multivitamin," Ms. Santoro says. "They're not required, but sometimes they give parents peace of mind."
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