FACING DOWN A FUSSY EATER

Dealing with a fussy eater can really test your patience as a mom, but there are ways to win the war on food

As soon as you get used to what they like to eat, your toddler surprises you and starts refusing foods he previously enjoyed. When your toddler sticks to only a few favourites and starts to reject most other foods it can leave you exhausted and confused. But even though these fussy toddler eating patterns are a normal part of growing up, understanding why it happens helps you figure out how to deal with it.

WHY IT HAPPENS

When your toddler starts to fuss over his food, there are a couple of reasons behind it. Firstly, the life of a toddler is designed to be very active and busy. They’re off exploring the world and everything in it. Eating is usually the last thing they want to do.

“A toddler’s growth slows down rapidly in the second year of life, and he will only gain about 2kg in this year. This is opposed to the 9kg- odd babies gain in the first year of life. So their food and energy requirements become less,” says Sr Ann Richardson, specialist nurse practitioner and parent coach.

Another reason they begin to turn fussy is if your toddler has been fed puréed foods for too long. This can result in him starting to fuss when given food that has a coarser texture or is chopped. In the same way, if the portion is also too big then this can also be off-putting.

Fussiness is also a sign of your toddler’s growing sense of independence. As your toddler learns to feed himself, he may also want to try assert himself too and push boundaries a bit. But generally toddlers are very good at selfregulating their need for food. It’s quite normal for them to eat well at one meal and much less at another.

HOW TO COPE BETTER

As a mom you want to pull your hair out trying various ways to encourage your little one to eat. But one of the best things you can do is try to relax! Toddlers won’t go hungry – that’s for sure. Here are ways you can try to cope better with this trying time in your toddler’s development:

Relax, relax, relax! Your toddler will pick up on any anxiety, and this will make things worse.

There must be firm parental boundaries in place about when, where and what toddler meals are, but the toddler must be left to decide how much food he will eat at a meal.

Limit milk intake (no formula – just full cream cow’s milk) to no more than 400ml per day, given on waking and at bedtime only.

Toddlers must eat their nutrition, not drink it, so avoid giving lots of juice.

Go for small portions that look appealing – chopped up, colourful and arranged on a tray or bowl.

Offer only one choice – not a full range of your entire kitchen.

Don’t run around after your child to entice him to eat.

Try not eating in front of the television.

WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Besides setting a good example for your toddler when it comes to food, there are also a few things you shouldn’t do:

Don’t talk about your toddler’s bad eating in front of him.

It’s not a good idea to offer too many choices at mealtimes – stick to two, at the maximum.

Don’t feed your toddler in front of TV, running all over the house or in the garden. Have the family sit down together at a table for mealtimes.

Let your child touch and play with their food – this is good for them and is a wonderful sensory experience.

Don’t give him more than 400ml of milk in 24 hours.

Don’t offer too many snacks in between meals and never offer sweets or pudding as a bribe to get your toddler to eat his veggies. YB