Dealing with Picky Eating in Children: Practical Tips
My child used to eat very well but suddenly started eating less well. How do I deal with this?
Are you noticing your child refusing food more and more often? Do vegetables usually get left behind, or do you hear right away that your child doesn't like them? Or do you find that you actually want to prevent this, that your child is eating very well now, and those around you sometimes worry that it might suddenly stop? What can you do if your child refuses food? Why does a child start refusing food? And does the fussy eating phase exist?
We asked Iris Vernooij of STERK & ZOET. Iris is an educator and (child) nutritionist who supports parents (and childcare professionals) in educating their children about food. Iris is there for families with personal support, online courses, and her fruit and vegetable table cards. She also inspires parents with healthy eating through her cookbooks "Vegetables for Kids" and "IJSJES" ( Ice Cream). In this article, Iris shares more information about the picky eating phase and practical tips for dealing with it.
It's not your fault if your child suddenly refuses food
From one day to the next, your child may increasingly start refusing vegetables (or other foods). While it's not always easy, it can be explained developmentally. Around the age of 18 months to 2 years, some children enter the picky eating phase. This phase has an evolutionary explanation; it's the age when children used to go on adventures, and when they could crawl or walk, they had to be protected from putting just anything in their mouths. A leaf or berry could be poisonous. This phase doesn't necessarily mean it's your fault if your child suddenly starts eating less well. It's developmentally appropriate for your child to suddenly become suspicious or initially refuse something (new). Your child needs extra reassurance that it's edible. A child in the picky eating phase needs extra reassurance that their food is edible. This is where the advice to eat together and share the same meal comes from.
Want to teach your child to eat bell peppers or eggplant? The first step is to start eating them yourself. To make a single meal for the whole family as easy as possible, I've developed the "Vegetables for Kids" cookbook. This cookbook contains 100 easy, healthy, and delicious vegetable recipes for the whole family.
What's unique about this cookbook is that each recipe indicates the appropriate age and how to serve it if your child is younger or has difficulty with certain textures in the dish.
This way, with a small adjustment, you can make every meal suitable for your baby, toddler, child and yourself!
This is how you can help your child get through this phase as smoothly as possible.
It's perfectly okay if your child enters the picky eating phase; many children do. However, you can support your child through this phase. This way, you influence the duration and intensity of the phase.
I see parents quickly inclined to impose mealtime rules (three more bites because you're three), consequences (three more bites and then you can have some potatoes), or pressure. This is understandable, as you're so eager to change something, but it's not always helpful in the long run.
What can be helpful is, among other things, sufficient variety, offering vegetables during the day and continuing to offer them even if your child does not taste or like them straight away.
“It's perfectly okay if your child goes through the picky eating phase, and that happens for many children.”
Suddenly your child wants to do it himself and decide for himself
Besides the picky eating phase, there are other factors that can cause eating behavior to change. Think of taste development and autonomy. Where your child opened their mouth easily as a baby, your child is now aware that they can say no, refuse, or react.
can provoke.
A new developmental phase that doesn't always make things easy, but is essential for learning to eat and building a healthy relationship with food.
Are you concerned about your child's eating habits?
Do you have any doubts or questions after reading this article and would you like to discuss it?
Feel free to contact me to explore together how to make mealtimes nutritious and enjoyable again.
Would you like to know more about Iris Vernooij?
Then visit her website for detailed information: sterkenzoet.nl
Also, don't forget to follow her on Instagram for the latest updates and inspiring content
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