Overcoming picky eaters who often make parents anxious

Your child doesn't want to eat anything else chicken nuggets or sausage? Even though it's inconvenient and sometimes annoying, it's picky about food or picky eater is a natural phase in a child's development and development. This habit can actually disappear over time, especially if the parents are supportive. The following is an explanation about children who are picky eaters (picky eater) and how to deal with it so it doesn't get worse.

What causes a child to be a person picky eater ?

After going through a menu with a slightly smooth texture, at the age of five, children begin to recognize new food flavors and variations. Quoting from the Baby Center, that child picky eater tend to be given a diet that does not vary.

Children tend to choose and like the food they usually eat. Therefore, it's a good idea to always introduce new foods at an early age to prevent children from becoming picky eaters (picky eater).

Giving him the same kind of food can narrow down the child's choice of food. This makes children picky eaters (picky eater) and a way must be found to overcome the condition.

Based on the journal entitled Proceeding of the Nutrition Society, picky food is a normal behavior in early childhood.

In fact, there is no universally accepted definition of conditions picky eater and there is no consensus on the best tool for identifying it.

However, several things that cause children to be picky about food are usually:

• Too late to know the texture of food.
• Pressured to choose food from the start (influenced by the environment)
• Lack of provision of variety in food

Still from the same journal, when your child is a picky eater, there are consequences for him, such as:

• Lack of iron and zinc
• Make children constipated
• Inhibits child growth

Addressing the child picky eater or being picky about food needs special attention and is given an example by the surrounding environment.

Creating a pleasant atmosphere when eating is also important so that your little one has an appetite when eating the menu that has been provided.

Tips for overcoming children having difficulty eating because picky eater (picky food)

You as a parent still have to ensure that your little one's nutritional intake is fulfilled at all times. As they grow up, most children will begin to like a more diverse diet.

They too will gradually realize the importance of variety in food and nutrition. While waiting for this time to arrive, apart from being patient, you can try the following ways to solve the problem of children being picky about food or picky eater.

1. Respect the child's desire to eat (or not eat)

The first point in dealing with children picky eater is not forcing children to eat when they are not hungry. Some parents like to force their children to eat something or wash their own dishes. This can only create a tense atmosphere and trigger an argument while eating at the dinner table.

Forcing you to do it over and over again, it makes your child associate eating with anxiety and frustration. Children are also more likely to ignore their own feelings of fullness and hunger.

Serve food in small portions to prevent the child from becoming full. Give them the opportunity to increase their own portions.

2. Adhere to a regular meal schedule

Create a regular eating schedule, such as serving heavy meals and snacks at the same time every day. If you let your child drink juice, milk, or eat snacks throughout the day, this can reduce their appetite when it's time to eat.

3. Be patient with the new menu

Addressing the child picky eater you have to be patient. When you serve a new portion of the food menu at the dining table, usually the children will touch or smell the food first.

After tasting, they may put the food back on the plate. Usually for this, children need a process, before finally getting used to and want a new food menu.

You need to encourage your child to pay more attention to the color, shape, smell and texture of food than just the taste of the food itself. It would be better if you present a new menu along with your child's favorite food menu.

4. Make eating fun

Serve broccoli and other vegetables with your favorite sauce or seasonings. To make it more attractive, cut food into various shapes using cookie cutters.

Also offer a breakfast menu to be served as dinner. In addition, you can try to serve a variety of foods with bright colors to overcome children who are picky eaters (picky eater).

5. Encourage children to participate in preparing food

If your child is a picky eater, try to involve him in activities related to family eating. You can take them shopping to the market or to the supermarket.

Ask the children to help them choose fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods when shopping together. Avoid buying things that you think are not good for your child to consume.

When you get home, do the same thing by involving the children to wash the vegetables, stir the dough, or set the dining table.

6. Use your creativity in cooking

To anticipate the problem of difficult children who eat because of a menu they don't like, you have to be creative. Create a dish by, for example, adding chopped broccoli or green peppers in spaghetti sauce.

Alternatively, you can sprinkle the fruit slices on top of a bowl of cereal or mix them up zucchini and grated carrots in puree and soup.

It's a good idea to do this so that your child likes a variety of healthy foods, even though he actually doesn't like certain foods, such as vegetables or fruit.

7. Stay away from things that interfere with eating time

Turn off the TV and other electronics while eating. This will help the child focus more on food. Keep in mind that TV commercials may also encourage children's cravings for sugary or less nutritious foods.

8. Eat with family

Before eating together, you can discuss what menu the family members want for dinner. Involve children in planning meals together, this makes children more receptive to the food provided.

9. Not using food as a reward or punishment

Avoid using food as a reward or punishment for children. This is done so as not to create negative emotions towards certain foods in children.

Making certain foods as gifts makes these foods something special for children. Conversely, using certain foods as a punishment makes these foods avoided by children.

10. Introduce new foods

In order for children's nutritional needs to be met for their growth and development, it is very important to provide a variety of food menus for your little one. One way to deal with children picky eater is to introduce new types of food.

However, this is not easy, there will definitely be resistance from your little one. The following are tips for introducing new foods to children:

Let the child touch the food

Why is it necessary to let children touch their food? When the child does this, it can help the child to build a sense of control. That way, you give the child the opportunity to recognize the food he eats from the start.

Avoid forcing children to try new foods

It's best to offer your child new food by asking him to try one bite, but don't force the child.

Forcing children to eat certain foods will actually make children dislike these foods. Worse, this may lead to debate between mother and child, making the atmosphere uncomfortable for the child to eat together.

Create a pleasant atmosphere when eating, this helps maintain a child's appetite.

Provides a variety of menu choices

Provide a variety of nutritious foods and allow the child to choose what and how much food to eat.

The habit of eating and the choice of food for children is very much influenced by those around them, especially by parents. This can overcome children who have the condition picky eater or picky food.

The influence of parents on children's food choices occurs because parents control the availability of food at home, determine how and when food is served, and develop good behavior towards food.

Therefore, try to always provide various types of nutritious food at home. If parents provide a variety of healthy foods at home and also eat them, children will follow suit and are more likely to enjoy eating nutritious foods.

Give a little portion

When you are introducing a new food menu to your little one, give it a small portion. If the child refuses, try again later, and continue to offer the child new foods.

Gradually the child wants to try it, then recognize the taste, and become familiar with the food, so that he will not refuse it again.

Consistently offering new food to your child can help reduce your child's tendency to refuse new food.

Lower expectations

Nothing is going smoothly, something must have happened that didn't go according to plan, including overcoming and reducing conditions picky eater in children.

It is important that you lower your expectations of the success of this method in order to reduce feelings of resentment within yourself.

It's better to keep your concentration on making mealtimes more enjoyable, rather than focusing on food choices. The reason is, if your child finds his eating experience enjoyable, he will repeat the same thing at another time.

Avoid using foods as gifts, such as candy, biscuits, chocolate, or milk. This makes your little one not learn to control his desires.

When mealtime is over, take your little one's plate even though the food isn't finished. Give him a snack two hours before the next meal so he can practice recognizing hunger.

Try eating on your own

Encourage your child to try to eat on their own. Make sure you provide healthy snacks. Always supervise them eating to avoid the risk of choking. Teach them to eat sitting down, not running.

Let your children determine if they are full or not — this teaches them to listen to their bodies.

Also, take into account the size of your child's stomach. Drinking too much milk or fruit juice can make them full.

If the family dinner is too late, your child may be too tired to eat. Serve their food faster.

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