Picky Eaters – How to Handle Them
When your kids reach the toddler stage, you better be ready to handle sudden refusals and pickiness when it comes to certain items of food. You will notice them refusing some kinds of food, while others might want to eat only certain types of food. At this point, do not worry about your child eating a well-balanced diet – all you need to ensure is that your child’s growth and energy levels are normal. If they are, you have absolutely nothing to be concerned about. This period of their life does not require too many calories as growth does not happen at a very fast rate.
With children, managing to provide a balanced meal which is accepted by them every day can be difficult. Instead, concentrate on ensuring that they get a diet that contains everything they need over a period of a week. If you feel your child is not getting the nutrition he should be, consult your pediatrician and start him on a daily vitamin.
While having a child who eats all three meals without a fuss would be a blessing, they are hard to come by. Therefore, ensure that at least one or two full meals are consumed per day. For instance, if your toddler has a hearty breakfast and then lunch, a half eaten dinner is alright.
Even if your toddler is really fussy about food, do not go to lengths to make him a separate meal. Offer what is prepared for the rest of the family. If he does not like it, let him be. One missed meal will not starve him. The minute you rush off to cook him his own meal, that, is exactly where all the trouble begins.