Picky Eater or Fussy Eater? A Dietitian's 10 Clever Tips

Author of this article / Chan Ya-han, Dietitian  Department of Nutrition, Heping Fuyou Branch, Taipei City Hospital   Lead image / Wang Wen-hao

According to research by Chang Gung Children's Hospital, 63% of children aged 2 to 4 have picky eating problems. Notably, 49% of parents thought their child's diet and nutrition were normal, when in fact the child already showed signs of picky eating. Therefore, how to get a picky-eating child at home to finish a meal with ease has become a required course for parents.

"Picky eating" VS "Fussy eating"

Chan Ya-han explains that "picky eating" means a child's diet leans toward eating more of, or refusing to eat, a certain major food group, resulting in an unbalanced nutrient intake. Severe picky eating often comes with poor appetite, which easily leads to insufficient nutrient intake, causing stunted growth and barriers to learning and development, and further giving rise to insufficient immunity, emotional instability and similar phenomena.

"Fussy eating" means a child rejects only a certain food, but other foods in the same category can be used as substitutes, so the impact on the child's health is not great. But if you force the child to eat it, it will instead cause the child to dislike the food. You can gradually increase the portion of the disliked food, or change your cooking habits, to gradually improve eating habits.

Why do children become picky eaters?

1. A previous uncomfortable or unpleasant eating experience: For example, a child has been burned in the mouth by hot soup, had a fish bone stuck in the throat, or found the food too heavily flavored, too strange, too bitter, or had other unpleasant eating experiences. All of these can affect the child's subjective bad impression of the food, causing the child to develop fear and rejection of this type of food.

2. Lack of variety in food: An unchanging food pattern or supply content reduces the child's acceptance, and even, because of too little variation in ingredients, causes nutritional imbalance. During a child's growth process, food texture needs to match different developmental stages, with different food supply patterns. Adjust the diet texture according to the child's growth situation, train the child's chewing and swallowing ability, and provide a diverse range of ingredients and nutrients.

3. A casual eating pattern: Watching TV while eating, with the TV's exciting scenes distracting the child's appetite, may affect the amount eaten at the main meal, leading to supplementing with snacks when hungry between meals. Such irregular-timing, irregular-amount eating behavior blurs the line between main meals, snacks and junk food, and may affect intake at the main meal.

4. Improper forced feeding: For foods a young child dislikes or when there is a tendency to picky eating, using force to make the young child eat may increase the aversion to this type of food, causing a more serious picky eating habit and nervousness.

5. Parents and caregivers have picky eating behavior: Early childhood has strong imitation ability, and if at home they do not choose it and do not encourage the young child to eat this type of food, over time it will reduce the young child's acceptance of unfamiliar foods.

How to get children to love the food on the table?

1. Fixed times and fixed amounts: A child's stomach capacity is small, and so is the amount eaten. Therefore Chan Ya-han suggests that a child's diet be 3 main meals plus 2 to 3 snacks, and that a casual eating pattern be avoided. Caregivers should keep track of the child's mealtime and food portions, and it is recommended that the main meal eating time be no more than 40-50 minutes as a principle.

2. Create a pleasant eating environment: Let the child learn to eat at the dining table, not watch TV while eating, and certainly not run around. You can let the child choose their own exclusive tableware to increase interest in eating, and give the child more opportunities to eat by themselves. During the meal you can chat with the child about daily life, or rate and praise today's dishes, to cultivate a relaxed and pleasant eating environment.

3. Make food complete in color, aroma and taste: The cook can change the cooking method and cutting method, so the child feels novelty and it is easy to chew and swallow, or change the pattern plated on the plate, and can use brightly colored foods and plating to attract the child to eat. You can also blend foods the child refuses with foods they like, to mask the food's special flavor and raise the child's acceptance.

4. Give nutrition education at the right time: Teach the child food choices, let the child understand healthy foods and junk foods, and increase the child's contact with and knowledge of food, such as through games or stories to understand food, increasing acceptance of food.

5. Encourage more, do not force: Never use drastic means to force eating, as it easily causes the opposite effect. If the child insists on not eating, you can put the meal away and supply food again at the next mealtime.

6. Food from someone else's hands tastes better: Occasionally arrange for the child to eat together with classmates and friends. Peer companionship and mutual encouragement make food more fragrant and tastier.

7. Create interest in eating: Make good use of the charm of stories to connect with food, creating a novel and fun eating atmosphere.

8. Lead by example: Parents and caregivers are often the objects of young children's learning and imitation. Eat a wide range of foods, and do not make subjective comments about food in front of the child. Do not supply too many snacks. Do not use snacks as a reward.

9. The child is also a little helper: Take the child along to cook together. You can choose safe, easy-to-cook dishes, let the child experience the fun of hands-on cooking, and also raise willingness to eat. Or experience growing vegetables, letting the child understand that food does not come easily and that every grain is hard-won, and learn gratitude and appreciation of blessings.

10. Hunger is the best seasoning: Play first, then eat, and the food will taste better. After games and exercise, calories are burned, and it is easy to get hungry and boost appetite.

Chan Ya-han emphasizes that a balanced diet and regular activity are important elements that help a child grow and develop. So parents should observe the child's daily life situation, understand the reasons for the child's picky eating, and prescribe the right remedy. Also encourage the child to try more. As long as you give a little more care and use a few more techniques, the child will surely feel the parents' sincerity, making mealtime a delicious and fun thing.