Some children will always be good eaters, others will barely eat anything. Regardless of where your child falls, their appetite will generally taper slightly around ten months, but around one year, they may start to develop an opinion, and be warned, that opinion will change.
I felt such guilt if my son did not eat a good meal, while simultaneously wanting to dump the wonderfully prepared meal that he had wasted on his head. I knew not to enter into a battle with him over it, as it would only make it worse, but I did not feel comfortable with saying, “you have spit your food out three times, and one more time will mean that you are just not hungry,” until my pediatrician shared that by one, children only need one good meal per day. That does not mean that they only eat once per day, but it does relieve the pressure of three successful meals.
How to Deal
TextureHow to Deal
-Consistently feed them what you want them to eat from the beginning. Do not feed them tater-tots and ice cream and then expect them to like carrot sticks. Kids are no different from adults, they will like what they know.
-Do not defeat yourself by assuming that they will not like things, as it may be your opinion limiting their diet, not theirs. Present food neutrally, without reservation or apprehension, and check your opinion at the door.
-Do not limit presenting foods to meal time. If your child is interested in the bell pepper that you bring home from the store, cut it open and offer them some, even if it is right before dinner. It is amazing what children will enjoy when they feel like it is an adventure or that they are in control of their food.
-Even if they do not like a food, put the-food-in-question on their plate. It takes up to fifteen exposures to develop a true opinion of a food, and as children get older and more rooted in their convictions, it may take up to 89 exposures, so introduce foods early and often.
-Let them enjoy the food. Keep manners in perspective, but if they want to make a sandwich of odd items, mush things, or eat with a straw, let them enjoy the foods, as that positive experience is a part of their perception of that food.
-Do not make an issue out of eating. Do not overly reward the good or punish the bad.
-Actions speak louder than words. If everyone at the table is enjoying their vegetables, your baby will want to try what you are eating.
For more suggestions on coping with a picky eater, consider this article by Dr. Alan Greene, as posted by Horizon Dairy.
If you do not have texture issues with food, you will not understand how it can cause such an adverse and dramatic reaction, but if your little one starts to spit out certain foods or chunkier purees, you may be in the initial stages of a crash course in food texture.
Before getting too frustrated, first try taking a step back in consistency and blend purees until they are completely smooth. You may also have to momentarily stop feeding baby things that you cannot blend to a perfectly smooth texture. To keep variety in your child’s diet, you might try commercially prepared baby food versions of certain foods, but regardless of commercial or homemade, only try a sample size of a food so that you do not get frustrated by wasting money and wearing the offending food and still having an unhappy and hungry little one.
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