What is fussy eating?
Fussy eating can be a normal behaviour for young children. The child may eat a lot one day, a little
the next, and is unlikely to eat everything from the meal every time.
Parents/carers are role models and lead by example as children learn to eat new foods by watching
parents/carers eat. The child will look, touch, taste and spit out their food. Even after a child learns to
like a food, they won’t eat it every time. A good deal of patience, persistence and judgment is
encouraged. The parent/carer can help young children to accept a variety of everyday foods and lead
by example.
Consider how the parent/carer can support the child in relation to their environment, meal structure,
safety and variety of everyday food.
Promoting the parent/carer to encourage the child to tune in, and respond to, their feelings of hunger
and fullness.
- Avoid making changes when a child is anxious. Anxiety will just make a child more likely to reject change.
- Try to avoid negotiating pleading and too much explanation. This often just increases anxiety.
- Limit the length of the meal. Mealtimes should not be rushed. At the same time, most children do not need more than 15 to 30 minutes
to eat a meal. It is sometimes helpful to create a rule where any food that is not eaten is thrown away after
30 minutes. - Be realistic. One child can manage a plateful of new food, another will cope with a few mouthfuls. For some children,
success is simply putting it in the mouth and then removing it. The next time it is offered it will be more
familiar and acceptable. - Make the foods you want your child to eat seem more valuable.
You can do this by appearing to restrict it… For example, we often say “Oh alright then, you can have a
biscuit – but only one”. This often backfires, with the child wanting lots because you said they could only
have one, so its value was increased. Why not try restricting something more nutritious like meat, fish, fruit
or vegetables. This can make these foods seem more valuable too. - Take the pressure off. Put food that is unfamiliar on a child’s plate. Do not ask the child to eat it. If they refuse, sometimes it is
best just to say, “That’s fine, you eat what you want to. Leave that bit if you don’t like it”. Appearing not to
care too much will help reduce anyanxiety. Alternatively, put the foods you want the child to try on serving
dishes so that they can help themselves. They are most likely to do this when you are not looking! - Involve children in choosing which foods to buy prepare or cook. This helps to show children that they have some control and can make choices. For example, when shopping, tell the child to choose three new foods. To start with, these choices may not be that nutritious. This is not important. The child is just learning that trying new food is something that they have control over and that can be enjoyable. It may even be best not to ask the child to eat the food they have chosen when you get home. Leave it out so the new food can be seen. When the child sees the food that they have chosen, there is a chance that they will ask if they can have it. Similarly, if a child helps with preparing and cooking food, there may be no need to ask a child to try some. If they want some, they will either eat it or ask if they can have it.
- Praising children: You can praise children for trying something new. However, do not overdo it. Praise them in a ‘matter of
fact’ way that is not too emotional. Too much expression may just remind the child what a big deal it is and make them anxious. - Dessert: Children often enjoy dessert more than the main course. This means that parents/carers often only allow
dessert if the main course has been eaten. This is not always a good idea. It can create the idea that the main course is an unpleasant thing that has to be endured before they get what they really want. - Influence of other children: Avoid giving too many snacks immediately before a meal. Children eat better when they are hungry, but not too hungry. Try to leave at least an hour between a snack and a meal.
Produced by Dave Rex – Specialist Dietician, Health & Social Care
