Picky eaters may be healthier than parents think

December 7, 1999
Web posted at: 5:32 PM EST (2232 GMT)

By Daphne Miller, M.D.

(WebMD) -- Nothing seems to get a parent more upset than a finicky eater. You feel your culinary skills are being insulted, or your toddler isn't getting the proper nutrition, or simply that he or she is missing out on the pleasures of fine dining.

Know that you're not alone: Most children between the ages of one and five have an uncomfortably short list of foods that they like to eat, and "food fights" between parents and toddlers are a common scene in many households.

Also take heart in the fact that there is a positive side to your child's eating habits. This is probably one of the first arenas where your child is demonstrating her independence and personal taste. And despite their limited diet, most children do get their daily nutritional requirements and are growing normally.

According to a position paper published in the January 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, most children from 2 to 11 years old actually get more than 100 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance of most vitamins and minerals. Even if your child will only eat the mashed potatoes tonight, he's probably getting what he needs nutritionally the rest of the week.

Most children slowly become more adventurous about food between the ages of 3 and 5. In the meantime, here are some mealtime guidelines to follow:

1. Prepare simple, healthy meals that the whole family will enjoy. Often it helps to have several different dishes, so your child has a choice. If your child refuses to try the food, don't nag him and don't prepare a new meal. Just say pleasantly, "Oh well, maybe you'll like the next meal better."

2. Be a good role model for your child. Eat a variety of foods and make appreciative sounds ("mmm!") as you taste them. It's an obvious ploy, but kids often get curious about food when it's bringing others pleasure.

3. Don't be too strict about table manners with small children. Keep mealtimes enjoyable. Of course, if your child is slinging food across the room or using it as shampoo, she should be discouraged. But for small children, part of the fun of food is feeling its texture in their hands and on their cheeks and chin. Your child will have plenty of time to learn proper table manners if you provide the good example.

4. Limit your child to two to three cups of milk a day, and half a cup of juice. Children too often fill up on these drinks and then have no room for other foods that are rich in vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and fiber.

5. Avoid giving your child bribes or rewards for eating certain foods. These forms of enticement might work in the short term, but they don't help your child develop a lifetime pattern of healthy eating.

6. If your child is refusing leafy greens, meat and beans, then make sure his iron needs are met with an iron supplement. If she is turning up her nose at greens and fruit, give her a daily children's multivitamin with vitamin C.

If you feel your child is consistently not meeting the minimum nutritional requirements or is not gaining weight, then you should discuss this with your health care provider. After taking a careful nutritional history, your health care provider will probably evaluate your child's nutritional status and examine whether the poor weight gain may be due to a physical health problem. If that's ruled out, then it's time to explore the family dynamics and psychological problems that may be factors in your child's eating habits.

RELATEDS AT :

Busting the sugar hyperactivity myth

---

RELATED SITES:

American Dietetic Association: Child Nutrition and Health Campaign
American Academy of Family Physicians

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

---

LATEST HEALTH STORIES:

China SARS numbers pass 5,000
Report: Form of HIV in humans by 1940
Fewer infections for back-sleeping babies
Pneumonia vaccine may help heart, too