Understanding fussy eating habits of kids: Expert shares inputs

From taste to food composition to distractions, here are a range of reasons which initiate fussy eating habits in kids. Take a look.

Fussy eating habits in kids are common. This happens due to a range of reasons. However, early nutrition is a mandatory area that needs a lot of effort in the formative years of a child's development. Usually, we end up giving them a tasty treat or a dessert to lure them to finish their meal – but, that is not healthy. Speaking to HT Lifestyle, Dr. Ganesh Kadhe, Associate Director Medical and Scientific Affairs, Abbott’s Nutrition business said, "Dealing with a child’s fussy eating habits can be challenging but try not to get frustrated as this is typical behaviour of most toddlers. Just make healthy food choices available and know that, with time, your child's appetite and eating behaviours will evolve."

He further noted down five reasons why fussy eating habits are common among kids. They are:

Taste: Kids are born with the natural liking for the sweet taste. Hence, when they do not find sweetness in their meal, they become fussy. However, over time, they can start to grow their liking for bitter taste with repeated exposure as well.

Food composition: "You must have noticed your child prefers foods such as slices of bread, cakes, breadsticks, crackers, chicken nuggets, chips, over anything else put on the table. The reason here is that they do not have to put much effort into chewing and swallowing these foods as they are processed foods with no added nutritional value to them," added Ganesh Kadhe.

Distraction and appetite: Spacing out the snacks and the meal time ensures that they are properly hungry before they sit for a meal. Screen time during mealtimes also causes overeating, which should be controlled.

Spoon feeding: In order to let them know the sense of fullness, they should be encouraged to grow self-eating habits under the supervision of the parent.

Activity: Kids involved in physical activities such as running, playing, etc, grow more appetite – hence, they have a proper meal. " If they have no physical activity at all, in that case, they might not want to eat as much as they usually do. This essentially means tiredness and activity levels have a direct impact on children's appetite,” added Ganesh Kadhe.

How to curb fussy eating habits: Dr. Ganesh Kadhe noted down a few steps that can be done in order to ensure that the child is provided with the right nutrition.

Mealtimes: Mealtimes and snack timings are to be spaced out and set.

Healthy food options: Introduce a healthy food option a day and be patient with the kid as he/she starts adapting to it.

Distractions: Have a set rule of no screentime at the family dinner table.

Nutritional supplement: Ensure that the kid is provided with the nutrition by giving him/her a nutritional supplement once a day.

Make it fun: Make the dish colourful. Add veggies to pasta or sauce to a plate of broccoli.

Follow more stories on <strong>Facebook </strong>and <strong>Twitter</strong>.