Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Picky Eaters
Definition
The peak time for picky eating is the toddler or preschool
years. A picky eater:
- complains about or refuses specific foods, especially
vegetables and meats
- pushes foods around the plate
- hides foods or gives them to a pet under the table
- eats enough total foods and calories per day.
Cause
Children of all ages (and adults) commonly have a few food
dislikes. Sometimes children dislike foods because of their
color, but more often it's because they are difficult to
chew. Children accept tender meats better than tough ones,
and well-cooked vegetables better than raw. Some children
are repulsed by foods with a bitter taste. Occasionally a
child who gags on large pieces of all foods has large
tonsils that make it difficult to swallow.
Expected Outcome
Most children who are picky eaters will try new foods in the
school years because of peer pressure. The voracious
appetite during the adolescent years also increases the
willingness to experiment. If you try to force your child
to eat a food he doesn't like, he may gag or even vomit.
Force feedings always interfere with the normal pleasure of
eating and eventually decrease the appetite.
Living with a Picky or Finicky Eater
- Try to prepare a main dish that everyone likes. Try to
avoid any unusual main dish that your child strongly
dislikes. Some children don't like foods that are mixed
together, such as casseroles. Try reintroducing such
dishes when your child is older.
- Allow occasional substitutes for the main dish. If your
child refuses to eat the main dish and this is an
unusual request, you may allow a substitute dish. An
acceptable substitute would be breakfast cereal or a
simple sandwich the child prepares for himself. Never
become a short-order cook and prepare any extra foods
for mealtime. The child should know that you expect him
to learn to eat the main dish that has been prepared for
the family.
- Respect any strong food dislikes. If your child has a
few strong food dislikes (especially any food that makes
her gag), do not serve that food to her when it's
prepared as part of the family meal. Never pressure
your child to eat all foods. It will only lead to a
power struggle, gagging, or even vomiting.
- Don't worry about vegetables, just encourage more
fruits. Because vegetables tend to be hard to chew and
some of them are bitter, they are commonly rejected by
children and even by many adults. Keep in mind that
fruits and vegetables are from the same food group.
There are no essential vegetables. Vegetables can be
entirely replaced by fruits without any nutritional harm
to your child. This is not a health issue. Don't make
your child feel guilty about avoiding some vegetables.
- Don't allow complaining about food at mealtimes. Have a
rule that it's okay to decline a serving of a particular
food or to push it to the side of the plate. But
complaining about it is unacceptable.
- Ask your child to taste new foods. Many tastes are
acquired. Your child may eventually learn that she
likes a food she initially refuses. For some picky
eaters, it may take seeing other people eat a certain
food 10 times before they're even willing to taste it,
and another 10 times of tasting it before they develop a
liking for it. Don't try to rush this normal process of
adapting to new foods. Trying to force a child to eat
one bite of a food per year of age is not helpful with
most picky eaters. Instead, it's better to trust them
when they say that they have tasted the food in
question.
- Don't argue about dessert. An unnecessary area of
friction for picky eaters is a rule that if you don't
clean your plate, you can't have any dessert. Since
desserts are not necessarily harmful, a better approach
is to allow your child one serving of desert regardless
of what she eats. However, there are no seconds on
dessert for children who don't eat an adequate amount of
the main course. Desserts don't have to be sweets, they
can be nutritious desserts such as fruit.
- Don't extend mealtime. Don't keep your child sitting at
the dinner table after the rest of the family is done.
This will only cause your child to develop unpleasant
associations with mealtime.
- Keep mealtimes pleasant. Make it an important family
event. Draw your children into friendly conversation.
Tell them what's happened to you today and ask about
their day. Talk about fun subjects unrelated to food.
Avoid making it a time for criticism or struggle over
control.
- Avoid conversation about eating at any time. Don't
discuss what your child eats in your child's presence.
Trust your child's appetite to look after your child's
caloric needs. Also don't give praise for appropriate
eating. Don't give bribes or rewards for meeting your
eating expectations. Children should eat to satisfy
their appetite, not to please the parent. Occasionally
you might praise your child for trying a new food that
he does not like the taste or texture of.
- Consider giving your child a daily vitamin-mineral
supplement. Although vitamins are probably unnecessary
for most of us, they are not harmful in normal amounts
and may allow you to relax more about your child's
eating patterns.
Call Your Physician's Office During Regular Hours If:
- Your child is losing weight.
- Your child gags on or vomits certain foods.
- You have other questions or concerns.
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