The child is picky about food?

Here are 5 things you should not do

Among us, almost all children become food pickers at one time or another.

A clinical dietitian for infants and toddlers offers ways to help deal with a child's limited preferences in food

Daniel Sarantsky, in collaboration with JAMA

22/01/2022

Saturday, January 22, 2022, 11:47 p.m.

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A child's choice in food is not always easy for parents.

You want the child to eat well, taste a variety of foods, be a partner in meals at home and even in a restaurant, but he?

Prefers his two-three regular foods, refuses to try anything new and distorts the face for any unfamiliar taste.

, a clinical dietitian for babies and toddlers, offers five rules that will help harness the child to new attempts alongside preserving his favorite flavors, and open him up to more nutritious and delicious foods:

More on Walla!

How to deal with your and the child's opposing desires?

In collaboration with JAMA

Revealed in a varied but non-threatening way

Be sure to expose a large but non-threatening number of new foods, in different colors and flavors (especially vegetables whose different color also indicates a different nutritional value) - but at the same time remember that placing a plate full of unfamiliar or beloved food for a child, can create a sense of insecurity For his part, in front of the meal.

Therefore, expose each time to one new food and not several at the same time.

In addition, eating a variety of foods by the parents and siblings in itself is meaningful for the child, (if you "survive the avocado" it is probably safe to eat ...).

When you go to reveal a new dish, offer it pleasantly, ask the child if he is interested in experimenting and if possible share it with him in preparing the new food.

Also exposed to unfamiliar foods.

Child eats (Photo: ShutterStock)

Create a safe eating environment and do not use "You have no choice"

Create a safe and pleasant environment around the food and not one that exposes the child to "no choice" situations.

It is true, a hungry child will eat, but the atmosphere created around the dining table should be enabling, pleasant, relaxed and safe for baby and child.

Allow multiple experiences in the first year of life

Make sure to offer the child, already in the first year of life, varied flavors by using herbs, exposure to a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes and protein foods.

During this year the curiosity and desire to be "similar to" (mom / dad / kindergartener / siblings) prevents many toddlers from varied experiences.

Diverse exposure before the age of two will increase the arsenal of foods the baby eats and thus the expected reduction from this age will be from a richer menu.

Do not give up the old and familiar

Make sure to present to the baby and child at least one familiar and beloved item at each meal, which is a "safety food", thus avoiding unnecessary stress around new foods that he is not yet familiar with.

Do not make unnecessary promises

Avoid conditioning around eating itself. Sentences that convey a message like: "If you eat you will get a surprise or dessert" preserve the eating scene to a place of negotiation. Children are smart and observant, and over time you will have to increase the "return" for them to eat.

In conclusion, remember that eating is a basic need, but it is also an essential basis for the bond between you and your child. Maintain a calm and not tense atmosphere around the food - children eat to grow up, and not to make us, mom or dad happy.

The Jama app was established with the aim of addressing mothers of babies from birth to age three, and centralizing for them content, activities, tips from experts and videos that will accompany them throughout this challenging period.

All the content in the app "grows" together with the baby and is precisely adapted to its developmental stages, so that the mothers receive only what is relevant to them and interests them at any given moment.

The Jama app is the place for mothers in Israel to meet and get to know other mothers around them, and create new and exciting friendships in the fascinating journey.

Search us on Google: https://app.jama.co.il/

• health

• New parents

Tags

• Child nutrition

• Food

• parenthood