Food play gets nod

FUSSY toddlers should be allowed to play with their food to encourage them to eat, new health guidance says.

Permitting “messy” eating and creating “relaxed and enjoyable” meal times – rather than insisting on rules and tidiness – can help fussy eaters start to enjoy food.

Published by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the guidance is designed to help families with underweight preschoolers.

Experts said all parents with picky young children should take note of the advice.