I’m a kids’ nutritionist – 10 ways to get them to eat dinner you definitely haven’t tried & why ditch the highchair
SIX out of ten parents customise family meals for fussy children, new research has found.
But only one in eight parents will demand kids eat everything on their plate, with fewer than a third banning their child from having dessert if they don’t finish dinner, according to a US university survey.
So what do you do when your little angel is a devil at the dinner table?
Paediatric dietitian and nutritionist Lucy Upton, (thechildrensdietitian. co.uk) has some words of encouragement.
“There’s a misconception that children learn everything they need to learn about food in the first year of their life,” she says.
“That’s not true. It’s a longer process, so don’t feel bad if it is taking a while to get there.”
Here, she gives Sarah Morton tips to tame your little fusspots.
USE A ‘NO THANK YOU’ PLATE
IF a child doesn’t want certain foods on offer, use a “no thank you” plate where they can discard all the bits they dislike.
Lucy says this is a great way of getting kids to interact with food, while allowing them to make choices.
She adds: “It gives them the autonomy to say, ‘You know what? I don’t want this, I’m putting it on another plate’. Children love having control and choice. It makes meal times a more positive experience.”
HAVE DINNER AT BREAKFAST
SOCIETY insists we have breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening, but Lucy believes it shouldn’t matter when we consume our grub.
“We get stuck in this societal narrative,” she says.
“But actually, if your child wants chicken for breakfast, don’t tell them no — let them have it! If they want cereal at dinner, that’s OK too! The nutritional value or taste doesn’t change.”
DON’T BANISH BEIGE
IF your kids are fixated on chicken nuggets or fish fingers, rather than broccoli and carrots, it doesn’t have to be a problem.
These “easy” foods still contain a decent amount of B vitamins, fibre and proteins.
“Sometimes you have to accept, when kids are little, they’re more likely to go for the beige foods,” Lucy explains.
“But that’s OK. It’s fine to want them to have the roast dinner, but it doesn’t make you a bad parent to go for the easier option.”
DIP BISCUITS IN BOLOGNESE
WHILE our more mature palates may baulk at the idea of mixing Rich Teas with ragu, Lucy reckons serving dessert with a main course is a great way to teach kids all foods are on a level playing field.
If it means putting a cookie on the plate to get them to interact with the savoury stuff, so be it.
“Food is just food,” Lucy says.
“Dipping their biscuits in Bolognese seems bizarre to us, but kids won’t care as they’re experimenting, and that’s key to a future healthy relationship with food.”
DITCH THE REWARD CHARTS
LOOK away now, Supernanny! Lucy believes your famed reward charts are redundant when it comes to fussy eaters.
Not only does the novelty wear off quickly, but in teaching little ones to eat for prizes, not pleasure, you’re creating a rod for your own back.
“We want children to eat food because they’re ready to,” says Lucy, “not because there’s an external reward. I guarantee they will be sick of the silver stickers after two weeks and then you’re left scratching your head.”
INCLUDE A ‘SAFE’ FOOD
WITH fussy children, you need to ensure there’s a “safe” food on the table, something they like, when you’re serving up a new dish.
“If the child comes to the table and they don’t see any food that’s familiar to them, it can cause anxiety,” Lucy explains.
“But if there’s something there that they know, it encourages them to engage.”
Lucy used curry and rice, served with Wotsits as the safe food, as an example.
“If it means the child dips a Wotsit in the curry just to experience the taste, it’s worth it.”
DON’T RULE OUT McDONALD’S
DENYING kids a particular food just makes them want it more, especially ones who cannot resist the taste of junk food.
Instead, Lucy says it’s worth being relaxed about it.
“The reality is, sometimes children will have a McDonald’s or a Pizza Hut and that’s fine, so long as we do our best to include it as part of a balanced diet,” she explains.
“I’d suggest mixing in veggies. Have a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger, but serve peas with them.”
SERVE MEALS BUFFET STYLE
LUCY believes many parents overestimate how much a child needs to eat.
As a result, mum and dad give their little darlings too much, which in turn puts the child off meals.
Her solution to portion control? Give the kids a plate and let them serve themselves.
“Allow the children to choose how much they have and what they have,” she says.
“I’d recommend serving dinner buffet-style. Put all the different elements in different bowls on the table and let the child decide for themselves. Kids love having that independence.”
MIND YOUR LANGUAGE
IF there’s one thing our expert’s not keen on, it’s telling your children everything is “yummy” and “delicious” as a way of getting them to eat.
“Stop doing it,” Lucy says.
“Those words aren’t fact, they’re opinion. And opinions for children can be pressurising.”
Lucy recommends using creative but accurate language instead.
“Kids learn though imagination and play,” she says.
“So rather than giving an opinion on an orange segment, call it something fun, like a ‘moon’, or ‘Peppa Pig’s nose’.”
SCRAP THE HIGH CHAIR
LUCY insists children shouldn’t still be sat in high chairs after they turn one year old.
“Get them up to the table on a proper, stable chair,” she says.
“High chairs aren’t very supportive — the child’s legs are usually flailing around with no grounding and it doesn’t make for a comfortable eating experience.”