Of course the reasons why children may reject foods can be many and varied and will differ with each child. Try to understand the possible reasons for your child’s fussiness. Is it due to innate issues, due to particular habits being created around food initially or is there some other underlying condition?
Consider this. Is it a sore throat, a cold, teething, gastric reflux, constipation, already full from snacking, over tired or upset, is there a specific nutrient deficiency that will affect eating behaviour and choices or are family mealtimes excessively stressful? All these and more have the potential to cause picky eating.
Research at Brown University in the US showed that damage to the taste system from ear infections and tonsillectomies alters taste perception and does have an effect on food preferences. Certainly in my naturopathic practice, the majority of children I see with picky or poor eating behaviour are found to have an underlying health issue of some type. This might be a subclinical chronic respiratory infection, allergy or intolerance or nutrient deficiencies that can be both the cause and effect of less than ideal health and picky eating behaviours.
A deficiency of the minerals zinc and iron are commonly behind these types of problems. Zinc specifically will influence both smell and taste. If you can’t smell or taste food it is then very difficult to have any enjoyment or interest in food.
Remember too that little ones are not just little adults but have a different approach to eating and different appetites. They are also likely to dawdle over meals or may be too busy and excited about what they are doing to settle to food so quickly lose interest or become distracted very easily.
Physiologically a child’s gut, brain and immune system are not yet fully developed. Each of these systems and the interrelationship between them is especially vulnerable to imbalances. Their gut lining is still rather “leaky” and liver detoxification ability is not mature so children are not capable of handling toxins from foods or their environment effectively. This can have a significant impact on their overall health as well as mood and eating behaviour.
https://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/sick-child.jpg147200adminhttp://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo.jpgadmin2013-07-24 06:22:262024-08-15 18:41:43Why? Physiological Influences on Eating Behaviour
THE INFLUENCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL AND GROWTH RATES ON EATING BEHAVIOUR
As we know, young children have variable appetites and often become picky with food. Why might this be? As a baby your child was fed constantly and grew rapidly. By their first birthday they will have probably tripled their birth weight.
Toddlers and young children grow at a much slower rate than when they were babies so their requirements for food are a little less than many parents expect. As well, they are usually too busy learning about their world to sit still for anything, even to eat.
Children’s limited and sporadic appetites are also affected by their growth cycles or “growth spurts” and by variations in activity. It is quite common for children to be hungry one day or for a few days in a row and then picky the next. They are more likely to eat better (and their requirements will be greater) during periods of more rapid growth.
Young children and fussy eaters tend to do better having most of their food as frequent nutrient dense snacks rather than fewer, larger meals.
https://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/kelly-sikkema-399348-unsplash-2development-and-growth-sm-.jpg7491000adminhttp://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo.jpgadmin2013-07-03 06:20:392024-08-15 18:40:54Why? Development and Growth
How Do Innate Survival Tactics Influence Eating Behaviour In Young Children?
Most children seem to have a preference for sweet tastes. Why? Well science suggests that the preference for sweet rather than bitter tastes and the suspicious or fear of trying new foods or new tastes is based in the basic survival techniques of our prehistoric ancestors as a protective mechanism from eating things that may be poisonous and an attraction to sweet foods such as fruits which are safe, energy and nutrient rich.
In so many ways we are all still ‘wired’ like our prehistoric ancestors. A dislike of bitter foods can be seen as a protective mechanism from eating things that may be poisonous. A toddler in prehistoric times for instance, when exploring their world, would be less likely to ingest a poisonous food due to its bitter taste. Children are naturally attracted to sweet foods such as fruits which are safe, energy and nutrient rich. Mother’s milk which is also ‘safe’ is relatively sweet.
This suspicion or dislike of new foods is technically known as “food neophobia”, or fear of eating new things. It is usually about the age of 2 years that most traditional societies cease breastfeeding and the child is less dependent on their mother for food. Avoiding unfamiliar foods is an innate way of keeping safe as a young child, when left to their own devices, having no real way of knowing what is or is not safe to eat.
Ever wondered WHY you child is so picky with food?
Probably every day – right?
There are very real and legitimate reasons that children become so fussy with food. It is not just to annoy and frustrate parents or to be obstinate. Although we have all felt that must be so at times!
Innate survival tactics, different developmental and growth rates, as well as physiological factors such as illness, nutrient deficiencies, and poor muscle tone are just some of the reasons that your child may become a picky eater.
Understanding those reasons and the sources of a child’s picky eating habits will go a long way in helping you more easily work around and deal with the problem and to help your child to eat more healthily and to broaden their tastes.
https://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/picky-eater.jpg133200adminhttp://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo.jpgadmin2013-06-12 06:16:582024-08-15 18:41:32THE BIG “WHY”
Does your child fuss and reject food once in a while or do you have daily battles at meal times?
Every child is unique with his or her own particular likes and dislikes, which can sometimes change on a daily basis. Their overall appetite may also be equally unpredictable. Toddlers and pre-schoolers (& sometimes older children) commonly go through a stage of being very “picky eaters”.
Studies show that as many as 1 in 4 toddlers can be defined as ‘food ejectors’ and refuse to eat what has been prepared for them at least half of the time. They may reject anything that is in any way different to what they are used to or that may be presented in a different way or they may have food “fads”, eating only very specific and limited favorite foods – their “flavor of the month”. As long as these are relatively healthy choices there is little need to worry.
How is “picky eating” defined then?
I see picky eating on a continuum with the occasional toddler or ‘fusspot’ eating at one end and more difficult selective eating and food rejection at the other and many variations in between.
Let’s look at some definitions.
The term picky eater has been defined in a number of different ways.
For instance, Marchi and Cohen (1990) defined picky eating by the presence of three of the following child behaviors:
does not eat enough
is often or very often choosy about food
usually eats slowly
is usually not interested in food
To me, this definition covers the milder (left) of my continuum and is very typical of toddler-hood. It could cover those children who do actually eat most of the time but may only eat a couple of very specific meals and nothing else. For instance, won’t eat any vegetable, won’t eat any fruit, will not eat “green” things or will only eat “white” foods.
On the other hand, Timimi, Douglas and Tsiftsopoulou (1997) looking at children aged 4 to 14 years defined fussy and picky eating as; “a specific and persistent pattern of behavior consisting of a refusal to eat any foods outside of a limited range of preferred foods”.
They also included accompanying behaviors such as resisting attempts as self-feeding, gagging, spitting out food, mealtime disruptive behaviors, playing with food at mealtimes, excessively slow eating and difficulties swallowing or chewing food. This definition seems to be more toward the more severe end of the continuum.
Picky with real food vs processed ‘food like substances’
Once, a picky eater was defined as one who would only eat a limited number of foods but, for the most part, those foods would have been “real” foods. For children today the risk is that picky eating may mean that they will only eat highly processed, high energy but nutrient devoid fast foods and convenience snacks such as crisps, crackers, processed cereals and such. So at a time when the food that your child does choose to eat may be highly processed, additive laden and not containing the vital nutrients that a small body needs to grow and develop, it is vital that fussy or picky eating is addressed as soon as possible.
Children are very keen observers of what significant adults in their lives are doing. As well as parents, this will include grandparents, extended family members, family friends and even older brothers and sisters.
Here are some key questions to ask yourself
Do I eat regular meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner? If not, how can I expect my child to do so?
Do I always eat healthy nutrient dense fresh foods? If not, how can I expect my child to?
Do I pick at food and not eat particular vegetables? Your child will mimic this. If mum or dad is a picky eater and isn’t willing to eat the new foods, neither will the child.
Where do I eat meals? In front of the TV? At the kitchen bench? On the run driving to work?
Does my family sit together and enjoy the majority of breakfasts and evening meals together?
Do I share the same meal as my child or do I expect them to eat something different?
When it comes to healthy eating, the best thing you can do as a parent is to be a good role model. Don’t expect your child to eat foods that you won’t.
What your child learns about food begins with you. You may not realise it but you are continually educating your child about food on a daily basis, especially during the first 10 years or so of their life.
Research shows that most picky eaters grow out of this stage when they are ready and particularly where the closest role models (parents) have healthy eating habits for them to emulate.
Children want to be “mini you”, be just like mum and dad. Most parents notice, comment on and smile at imitative behaviors such as talking on a pretend mobile phone like mum or dad BUT have you made the connection between imitation of your own eating habits and your child’s eating habits?
https://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/64686be4-4443-11e6-8e05-c384b245cd95.jpg480640adminhttp://feedingpickykids.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/logo.jpgadmin2013-05-14 06:07:582019-02-24 04:02:30Are you a Good Role Model?
Recipe: Pizza Treat for Picky Kids
/0 Comments/in Recipes /by adminWe have just enjoyed nibbling on these luscious little treats.
Here is “sneaky” way to increase vegetable intake and create interesting little snacks for any picky eater – child or grown up!
We use slices of crispy potato to make the base for these child sized tasty bites.
These are also great for those kids who have special dietary requirements and/or need to be gluten or dairy free.
Here is the recipe:
1. Wash and scrub 1 or 2 large waxy potatoes and slice into 2mm rounds.
2. Brush with a little olive and lay on a baking sheet
3. Bake in a moderate oven for around 10 minutes each side until crisp & golden.
4. Remove from the oven and top each with
5. Bake for a further 5 minutes until the filling is warm and the cheese is melted.
6. Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley and/or chopped olives.
7. Make sure you let the pizzette cool a little before offering them to your child.
Enjoy!
You will find the full recipe for this and the recipes for the tomato and vegetable sauce in my “Food for Picky Kids” recipe book.
Why? Physiological Influences on Eating Behaviour
/0 Comments/in Reasons/Why Is It So? /by adminOf course the reasons why children may reject foods can be many and varied and will differ with each child. Try to understand the possible reasons for your child’s fussiness. Is it due to innate issues, due to particular habits being created around food initially or is there some other underlying condition?
Consider this. Is it a sore throat, a cold, teething, gastric reflux, constipation, already full from snacking, over tired or upset, is there a specific nutrient deficiency that will affect eating behaviour and choices or are family mealtimes excessively stressful? All these and more have the potential to cause picky eating.
Research at Brown University in the US showed that damage to the taste system from ear infections and tonsillectomies alters taste perception and does have an effect on food preferences. Certainly in my naturopathic practice, the majority of children I see with picky or poor eating behaviour are found to have an underlying health issue of some type. This might be a subclinical chronic respiratory infection, allergy or intolerance or nutrient deficiencies that can be both the cause and effect of less than ideal health and picky eating behaviours.
A deficiency of the minerals zinc and iron are commonly behind these types of problems. Zinc specifically will influence both smell and taste. If you can’t smell or taste food it is then very difficult to have any enjoyment or interest in food.
Remember too that little ones are not just little adults but have a different approach to eating and different appetites. They are also likely to dawdle over meals or may be too busy and excited about what they are doing to settle to food so quickly lose interest or become distracted very easily.
Physiologically a child’s gut, brain and immune system are not yet fully developed. Each of these systems and the interrelationship between them is especially vulnerable to imbalances. Their gut lining is still rather “leaky” and liver detoxification ability is not mature so children are not capable of handling toxins from foods or their environment effectively. This can have a significant impact on their overall health as well as mood and eating behaviour.
Why? Development and Growth
/0 Comments/in Reasons/Why Is It So? /by adminTHE INFLUENCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL AND GROWTH RATES ON EATING BEHAVIOUR
As we know, young children have variable appetites and often become picky with food. Why might this be? As a baby your child was fed constantly and grew rapidly. By their first birthday they will have probably tripled their birth weight.
Toddlers and young children grow at a much slower rate than when they were babies so their requirements for food are a little less than many parents expect. As well, they are usually too busy learning about their world to sit still for anything, even to eat.
Children’s limited and sporadic appetites are also affected by their growth cycles or “growth spurts” and by variations in activity. It is quite common for children to be hungry one day or for a few days in a row and then picky the next. They are more likely to eat better (and their requirements will be greater) during periods of more rapid growth.
Young children and fussy eaters tend to do better having most of their food as frequent nutrient dense snacks rather than fewer, larger meals.
Why? Innate Survival Tactics
/0 Comments/in Reasons/Why Is It So? /by adminHow Do Innate Survival Tactics Influence Eating Behaviour In Young Children?
Most children seem to have a preference for sweet tastes. Why? Well science suggests that the preference for sweet rather than bitter tastes and the suspicious or fear of trying new foods or new tastes is based in the basic survival techniques of our prehistoric ancestors as a protective mechanism from eating things that may be poisonous and an attraction to sweet foods such as fruits which are safe, energy and nutrient rich.
In so many ways we are all still ‘wired’ like our prehistoric ancestors. A dislike of bitter foods can be seen as a protective mechanism from eating things that may be poisonous. A toddler in prehistoric times for instance, when exploring their world, would be less likely to ingest a poisonous food due to its bitter taste. Children are naturally attracted to sweet foods such as fruits which are safe, energy and nutrient rich. Mother’s milk which is also ‘safe’ is relatively sweet.
This suspicion or dislike of new foods is technically known as “food neophobia”, or fear of eating new things. It is usually about the age of 2 years that most traditional societies cease breastfeeding and the child is less dependent on their mother for food. Avoiding unfamiliar foods is an innate way of keeping safe as a young child, when left to their own devices, having no real way of knowing what is or is not safe to eat.
THE BIG “WHY”
/0 Comments/in Reasons/Why Is It So? /by adminEver wondered WHY you child is so picky with food?
Probably every day – right?
There are very real and legitimate reasons that children become so fussy with food. It is not just to annoy and frustrate parents or to be obstinate. Although we have all felt that must be so at times!
Innate survival tactics, different developmental and growth rates, as well as physiological factors such as illness, nutrient deficiencies, and poor muscle tone are just some of the reasons that your child may become a picky eater.
Understanding those reasons and the sources of a child’s picky eating habits will go a long way in helping you more easily work around and deal with the problem and to help your child to eat more healthily and to broaden their tastes.
DEFINING PICKY EATING
/0 Comments/in What is Picky Eating? /by adminDo You Have A Picky Eater At Your House?
Does your child fuss and reject food once in a while or do you have daily battles at meal times?
Every child is unique with his or her own particular likes and dislikes, which can sometimes change on a daily basis. Their overall appetite may also be equally unpredictable. Toddlers and pre-schoolers (& sometimes older children) commonly go through a stage of being very “picky eaters”.
Studies show that as many as 1 in 4 toddlers can be defined as ‘food ejectors’ and refuse to eat what has been prepared for them at least half of the time. They may reject anything that is in any way different to what they are used to or that may be presented in a different way or they may have food “fads”, eating only very specific and limited favorite foods – their “flavor of the month”. As long as these are relatively healthy choices there is little need to worry.
How is “picky eating” defined then?
I see picky eating on a continuum with the occasional toddler or ‘fusspot’ eating at one end and more difficult selective eating and food rejection at the other and many variations in between.
Let’s look at some definitions.
The term picky eater has been defined in a number of different ways.
For instance, Marchi and Cohen (1990) defined picky eating by the presence of three of the following child behaviors:
To me, this definition covers the milder (left) of my continuum and is very typical of toddler-hood. It could cover those children who do actually eat most of the time but may only eat a couple of very specific meals and nothing else. For instance, won’t eat any vegetable, won’t eat any fruit, will not eat “green” things or will only eat “white” foods.
On the other hand, Timimi, Douglas and Tsiftsopoulou (1997) looking at children aged 4 to 14 years defined fussy and picky eating as; “a specific and persistent pattern of behavior consisting of a refusal to eat any foods outside of a limited range of preferred foods”.
They also included accompanying behaviors such as resisting attempts as self-feeding, gagging, spitting out food, mealtime disruptive behaviors, playing with food at mealtimes, excessively slow eating and difficulties swallowing or chewing food. This definition seems to be more toward the more severe end of the continuum.
Picky with real food vs processed ‘food like substances’
Once, a picky eater was defined as one who would only eat a limited number of foods but, for the most part, those foods would have been “real” foods. For children today the risk is that picky eating may mean that they will only eat highly processed, high energy but nutrient devoid fast foods and convenience snacks such as crisps, crackers, processed cereals and such. So at a time when the food that your child does choose to eat may be highly processed, additive laden and not containing the vital nutrients that a small body needs to grow and develop, it is vital that fussy or picky eating is addressed as soon as possible.
Are you a Good Role Model?
/0 Comments/in Strategies /by adminChildren are very keen observers of what significant adults in their lives are doing. As well as parents, this will include grandparents, extended family members, family friends and even older brothers and sisters.
Here are some key questions to ask yourself
What your child learns about food begins with you. You may not realise it but you are continually educating your child about food on a daily basis, especially during the first 10 years or so of their life.
Research shows that most picky eaters grow out of this stage when they are ready and particularly where the closest role models (parents) have healthy eating habits for them to emulate.
Children want to be “mini you”, be just like mum and dad. Most parents notice, comment on and smile at imitative behaviors such as talking on a pretend mobile phone like mum or dad BUT have you made the connection between imitation of your own eating habits and your child’s eating habits?