How to handle a 5-8 year old picky eater?

The unpleasant phenomenon of children wanting to eat the same thing every day is common, especially in children aged 5-8 years. Some children don't like certain foods, such as vegetables. However, offer your child a variety of healthy foods, and it's important not to let their pickiness become a cause of mealtime stress. Don't cook special meals just for picky eaters, but include foods your child likes in each meal. If you are concerned about your child's nutrition, ask your doctor or dietitian for more advice on how to handle a picky eater. The following tips will help your family add healthy foods and help handle picky eating in 5-8 year olds.

By school age, most children are slowly trying to overcome their fear of trying new foods and are constantly wanting to assert or express themselves. Occasionally, however, a child may insist on eating the same food at all of his meals and show discomfort with all other foods. This is not really cause for concern
Remember, this age group children are learning to form habits. All that is familiar is accepted by the child, even rejecting everything else. Children may not pay much attention to their own eating habits, so keep calm, don't pressure or yell at them at every meal because that will only make the parents of the child stumble. resistance from their own children.

Usually, children have an innate sense of how much food their bodies need to grow healthy, and deciding what to eat should be left to them. The best thing parents can do is provide clean, healthy foods and a comfortable, enjoyable atmosphere at every mealtime. Here are some specific tips on how to handle introducing new foods to picky eaters:
Offer a variety of healthy foods at every meal. Children can be happy and excited about new food experiences, but it may take several exposures before accepting them. Therefore, it is important to be patient. When you want to introduce a new food to your child, simply put it on the table with everyone else and let your child enjoy it on his own. Don't give 5-8 year olds too many choices in meals. Many mothers may have been over-indulging their children when at every meal they ask, “What do you want to eat today?”. This will get them to choose something they're already familiar with. Instead, prepare yourself a meal with different dishes. Children will have to choose from the foods offered. Of course, it is also not advisable to provide a meal full of strange foods to children because that can cause them to skip meals. Instead, offer a meal that includes at least one item that the parent knows the child likes. A new dish should not be offered in excessive quantities. Let them taste new foods and let them control how much food they put in their mouths. This way, babies won't feel overwhelmed and moms won't have to worry about wasting food either. Remember, some children's palates may be more sensitive than their peers' and they simply don't like the texture, color or taste of certain foods. That's why a child may not like something they've never even tried. Likewise, some children may refuse a food because it is related to some other negative thought in the child. If you need to prepare a meal for your child to have for lunch at school, give your child a few choices about what foods can be included but also need to give him a certain amount of fun. An enjoyable lunch can help children eat better. Whenever possible, involve your child in decisions and food preparation, including shopping and making meals and snacks. This will give the child a sense of control over their diet. And children tend to be more interested in the foods they choose. Find ways to increase the nutritional value of foods your child loves. For example, put some tuna or ham in your baby's diet. Teach children to form a mindset about good nutrition. Stick a food chart on the refrigerator and suggest good foods to your child. See also Nutrition pyramid for 6-11 year olds Many children are less picky when not at home. Therefore, there is no need to worry too much because maybe your child has just finished eating his meal in class. Form the habit of breakfast for children. Studies show that children who eat breakfast regularly have better academic performance than those who don't eat breakfast. Therefore, mothers should consider taking a moment to look for healthy and suitable foods for their children's breakfast.

It is unrealistic to expect a school-age child to eat a variety of foods. However, in the long run, modeling by young parents in enjoying a variety of healthy foods whether at home or elsewhere is one of the best ways to help children form a healthy eating habit. good. But for the time being, remember that it's your child's choice to eat only a few foods, and the most important thing is to let them make their own decisions about how they choose to eat.
Nancy Hudson, nutritionist at the University of California, Berkeley, says: “A child needs to be in control of what he eats. If parents force their children to eat foods they don't like or more than they want, they can pose problems later in life such as never being allowed to make their own food decisions (such as making food decisions). when the child is full) has a higher risk of developing an eating disorder or obesity later in life. Furthermore, trying too hard to force a child with foods he doesn't like will almost always backfire because forcing him to try new foods will only make him more stubborn and less open to trying new foods. new things in the future.
If children eat nothing but their favorite foods for many days in a row, parents should not be too worried. What the child has eaten may be enough to provide all the nutrients and energy for the child's activities. Studies from the American Dietetic Association show that children - even those considered by their parents to be "picky eaters" - often consume a wide variety of foods to meet their nutritional needs. If parents really don't think their child is eating well, they can give him a daily multivitamin.

Parents should not worry too much if their child does not seem to be growing as fast as other peers. Children don't always develop at a steady rate and there will be times when they don't seem to be growing at all. Contact your doctor if you are concerned, but don't let your fears spread to your child. If mothers often push their children to eat, talk too much about nutritional issues in meals or regularly monitor their children's weight, it can make the baby even more anorexic.
For many parents, their wish is nothing more than that their child can be happy during mealtime and eat all the dishes they have prepared. However, this is not really easy. There will be some children who are obedient and enjoy the food their mother cooks, but most of the rest only eat certain foods they feel like. Forcing is not an action that mothers should do at this time, let children choose their own food and in some smart way add enough nutrients and necessary energy in the meal. of them.

To improve children's picky eating, lazy eating, anorexia, parents should supplement children with supportive products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins. help meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well. Parents can also apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption by the baby. The most important thing is that the improvement of the baby's symptoms must take place over the long term. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or changing many types in a short time can make the baby's digestive system unable to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really persistent with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.

Reference source: babycenter.com, positiveparentingsolutions.com