Bryson Publications

When your children will not eat . . .

(written for Ada Mary A’Beckett Children’s Centre cookbook) . . .

Inevitably, every parent will face a stage in their child’s life when they are not interested in eating. Why is your child not eating? Is he/she sick, jealous of a new baby, attention seeking, tired? There can be many factors, or it could be as simple as their growth pattern. Children’s food needs vary depending on their rate of growth and level of physical activity.

“Eating should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your baby. As parents we have the great opportunity to provide the platform to encourage the development of healthy eating habits in our children. By providing your baby with an eating experience that offers lots of opportunities to try new foods, tastes and textures incorporated into ‘family meal times’, you will help your baby to grow into a child that enjoys a variety of healthy foods.” Samantha Berry, Paediatric Dietitian

To overcome some of the frustration of a child who will not eat a parent should aim to:

1. Remain calm - seeing you react is fascinating to them, but only makes you annoyed and tired

2. Make meal times happy times and encourage children by telling them how well they are eating (even if they have not had much).

3. Involve your children in the growing, shopping and/or cooking process

4. Set an example by eating healthy yourself

It is important to avoid force-feeding your child. This only increases stress and decreases appetite. If children refuse to eat, take away the food and offer it later. A child may really dislike a particular food. Provided they are eating a variety of other foods do not force them to eat.

If your child generally eats well, but will not eat vegetables and fruit try to:

1. If at first your baby or child refuses to eat a certain food try again the next day or leave it a few
days and try again. Research shows that repeated exposure to new foods is necessary for a baby/
child to learn to enjoy a new flavour. New foods may need to be tried a number of times to increase familiarity and increase the chance of it becoming a favoured food

2. Continue to offer vegetables to your child as part of a meal, eventually they will start to eat them

3. Experiment with different sauces to make the food taste better

4. Get excited when preparing and offering new vegetable varieties

5. Hide vegetables in stews, soups, salads, juices – creamed, mashed of finely chopped

6. Mix foods together if a child likes to pick out their favourite food

7. Give a variety of good foods that children like - avoid salty or spicy foods.

8. Cut food into pieces that children can hold, and provide spoons for soft foods, allowing them to
feed themselves.

Remember to feed children when they are hungry. Do not wait until they are too tired to eat. They need to eat frequently. Snacking and nibbling often, on healthy foods will ensure they get their daily requirement of nutrients and sources of energy. And very importantly, when possible, try to schedule ‘family meal times’, so everyone can eat together and your children can learn from your example.

Sonia Blacker

Specialists in baby & toddler books and beyond