Posted By: Mrs.Shruti Rattan | 17 Nov 2016
Turning Nose Up
Is your toddler very fussy that mealtimes are a misery! Shruti Rattan gives you some ideas on changing this habit.
Imagine the plight when we keep running after our little ones (a routine now) ,no, we are not playing, but to make them eat. We shout and they laugh, we scold and they cry but we keep running after them and they keep away from us. All mothers can relate to such situation as it can be seen in every household. Every mother is stressed because their kids possess some fussy eating habits.
So ,what’s the definition of fussy eating? Fussy eating is a condition where children reject certain foods or become afraid of trying new ones. About 20 per cent of under five year- olds are picky about their food’ so its no surprise that food issues are a source of stress for parents. The first step is not to panic .There are ways in which you can successfully diffuse the situation and move on.
Try, Try and try again
Children’s likes and dislikes change all the time and what’s on the hate list today could be a favorite food next week –so be persistent. Keep offering a wide variety of fresh, nutritious foods and even a fussy eater can eventually learn to like them.
You may be fussy too
Children learn behaviors from their parents. Research indicates that while 27% of toddlers are fussy eaters , 22% have parents who admit to being fussy eaters too. If you restrict yourself to a narrow range of foods, your child will notice and copy your wariness. Don't limit your child’s food variety to only those that you prefer. It may be that your child’s tastes are different to yours and perhaps you are simply serving them food they don’t happen to like.
Food and growth
One-third of parents worry that their child isn’t eating enough. Unless they are ill, a young child will never voluntarily starve themselves. If your child seems healthy and energetic ,they are eating enough .If you are still concerned, keep an eye on how much food they actually eat over the day. Children tend to graze constantly, rather than restrict their eating to three meals per day like adults. You may be surprised how those little handfuls ’and snacks add up.
Get excited about good food
Try to get across the message that good food tastes and smells great in a way that junk food never can.Say things like “I love those cornflakes, they are so crunchy” or “this mango is the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”
Eat together
A family meal once or twice a week can really help- a child who won’t eat peas may change her mind when she sees how much everyone else enjoys them, and she may be encouraged to try new foods if she can have a spoonful from papa’s plate!
Dish up lots of praise
Avoid saying “she’s so picky, she eats nothing” in front of your child .Instead focus on the positive , praising her whenever she eats something healthy:” you have eaten your apple ,well done !’Appreciate that your child’s stomach is small, she can always ask for more.
Don’t force
Encouraging children to feed themselves is also a good idea. But you need to make sure that you have healthy snacks available. Always supervise their eating to avoid any risk of choking. Encourage to eat sitting down ,not running around. More important, don’t use candies, chocolates, biscuits or cakes as bribes.
Maintain calm
Keep calm and don’t make a fuss of whether your child is eating or not. Instead, concentrate on making mealtimes enjoyable family events. If an occasion is enjoyable, your child will want to repeat it.
Inculcating healthy habits
Always looking for nutritious food for your little one
By teaching your children healthy eating habits, you can help them maintain a healthy lifestyle when they are adults.
If you are unsure about how to select and prepare a variety of foods for your family, consult a doctor or dietician for nutrition counseling.
It is important that you do not place your child on a restrictive diet. Other approach as parents can take to develop healthy eating habits in their children include: ,
• Make a wide variety of a healthy foods available in the house . This practice will help your children learn how to make healthy food choices.
• Encourage your children to eat slowly . A child can detect hunger and fullness better when eating slowly.
• Eat meals together as a family as often as possible. Try to make meals time pleasant with conversation and sharing, not a time for scolding or arguing. If meals times are unpleasant ,children may try to eat faster to leave the table as soon as possible .They then may learn to associate eating with stress.
• Involve your children in food shopping and preparing meals. These activities will give you hints about your children’s food preferences, an opportunity to teach your children about nutritious food and provide your kid s with a feeling of accomplishment . In addition children may be more willing to eat or try foods that they help prepare.
• Continuous snacking may lead to over eating, but they can be part of a nutritious diet ,without spoiling a child’s appetite at meals times. You should make snacks as nutritious as possible, without depriving your children of occasional chips or cookies, especially at parties or other social events.
• Discourage eating meals or snacks while watching TV. Try to eat only in designated areas of your home, such as the dining room or kitchen. Eating in front of TV may make it difficult to pay attention to feelings of fullness.
• Encourage your children to choose water as their beverage .Over consumption of sweetened drinks and sodas has been linked to increased rates of obesity.
• Try not to use food to punish or reward your children. .Withholding food as a punishment may lead children to worry that they will not get enough food. For example, sending children to bed without any dinner may cause them to worry that they will go hungry. As a result children may try to eat whenever they get a chance. Similarly , when food , such as sweets, are used as a reward, children may assume that these food are better or more valuable than other foods. For example telling children that they will get dessert if they eat all of their vegetables sends the wrong message about vegetables.
• Make sure your children’s meals outside the home are balanced. Find out more about their school lunch or pack their lunch to include a variety of foods . Also ,select healthier items when dining at restaurants.
Whey to go ,baby.
We all know the importance of protein in the diet of a growing child . Among the various protein complex derived from milk, this is being touted as functional food with a number of health benefits.
When, a by- product of cheese and curd manufacturing, was once considered a waste product. Milk contains two primary sources of protein ,the casein are the proteins responsible for making curds, while whey remains in an aqueous environment.
Whey is a popular dietary protein supplement purported to provide antimicrobial activity, immune modulation, improve muscle strength and body composition ,and to prevent cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis .Advances in processing technology ,including ultra filtration, microfiltration, reverse ,and ion-exchange have results in development of several different finished whey products.
Each whey product varies in the amount of protein ,carbohydrates ,immunoglobulin’s ,lactose, minerals, and fat in the finished product. These variables are important factors in the section of whey fractions for specific nutritional application.
Protein from whole milk consist of approximately 20 per cent whey protein .When casein is removed from whole milk ,liquid whey remains ,having a protein concentration of about 65 percent.
The success of whey protein has led to the development of high quality protein supplements manufactured as primary products and not as a byproduct of cheese manufacturing.
Milk is one of the oldest functional foods available. From birth, children rely on mother’s milk for nutrition and immune protection. Scientists are beginning to develop an understanding of the various components of milk, including whey, and how they may impact health and disease.
Whey Protein, if given to growing children, enhances their immunity & muscle building capacity.
Help your children maintain a healthy life style
Make a wide variety of healthy foods available in the house . This practice will help your children learn how to make healthy food choices.
Involve your children in food shopping and preparing meals. This will give you hints about your children’s foods preferences.
Discourage eating meals or snacks while TV. Try to eat only in designated areas of your home.
Encourage your children to choose water as their beverage. Over consumption of sweetened drinks and sodas has been linked to increased rates of obesity.
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