Aoife Hearne: I'm worried about my child who only wants to eat beige foods
When Know "i The Well Too Exert Including Of Over " All ‘threenagers’ Their Stubbornness Independence Try To A Is Time It Food Everything, They
I know the stubbornness of ‘threenagers’ all too well. It is a time when they try to exert their independence over everything, including food.
Their determination can prove extremely difficult for parents, who are not only concerned about foods that will be accepted at meal times, but also focused on the quality of the foods.
Vegetables and fruit are important for health at all ages, particularly for children as they grow. However, they are often sticking points for little ones, many of whom struggle with their taste and texture.
Children tend to eat what they like and like what they know. So, consider switching focus from what your child is not eating to increasing her familiarity with new foods.
A ‘taste’ plate (bite, lick, chew, but not necessarily eat) of new foods is an excellent place to start. You can begin with one or two vegetables and try this daily for two weeks.
You could even consider a non-food reward for trying the new vegetable. Often, stickers or pencils work well.
Resist the temptation to cajole your child into eating if she is hesitant. Instead, you can talk about the taste and texture of the new vegetable in a supportive way, avoiding any pressure to eat.
You could stick with her white theme and suggest a white vegetable or fruit. Eventually, you can build up to adding more colour.
This Tiny Tastes technique has been researched by psychologist Dr Lucy Cooke, at University College London. She has found that repeated exposure to new foods without pressure to eat them increases food acceptance.
However, other, more complex issues can be at play. Avoidant, restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a type of eating disorder that presents in children who are highly selective about the foods they eat.
Often, these children will only eat products from a specific brand. If you are concerned about this, speak with your general practitioner.
For most children, the reluctance to try new foods is a normal part of growing up. Think about your desired long-term outcome and use that as a guide.
The foundations for lifelong healthy eating are laid down during childhood. Parents should focus on increasing familiarity with new foods, colours, textures, and tastes to establish healthy eating habits early.
This means offering vegetables regularly and not giving up even when they are pushed away for the 100th time.
It’s not an easy road, but patience and working with the child rather than pressuring them to eat will eventually pay off.
If you have a question for dietitian Aoife Hearne, please send it to parenting@examiner.ie