HANDLING FEEDING BEHAVIORS
WHAT DO PARENTS NORMALLY FACE?
NEW FOOD REFUSAL
My child refuses to try new food. What can I do to make him try?
Mrs K, Johor Bahru
REFUSE TO EAT
VEGETABLES
My girl just refuses to eat vegetables.
Mr P, Kuala Lumpur
HUNGER CUES
My baby keeps on crying. How do I know whether she is really hungry?
Mrs C, Seremban
SATIETY CUES
“My girl plays with her food”
— Mr KM, Ipoh
UNHEALTHY
SNACKS
“I just can't stop my 4 year old son from taking those fried snacks”
— Mrs Q, Gombak
"Every baby is different, your baby knows best!"
You can get advice from your friends (or even your own parents or relatives!) but there is actually no standard or "fixed" way of handling your child's feeding behavior. EVERY CHILD is different.
Understanding the reasons behind the behavior may help you deal with them better.
Increasing vegetable acceptance
It is normal for your child to reject vegetables. Children are born to prefer sweet tastes and dislike sour and bitter tastes. That is why liking for vegetables may be harder to achieve.
-
Vegetables as first solid food- Giving vegetables instead of fruits first would help to facilitate acceptance.
-
Repeated exposure- Be patient, you might need at least 15 attempts before you succeed!
-
Praise when your child attempts to try even if he/she spits it out
-
Avoid saying "veggies is good for you". It doesn't really work.
-
Avoid giving food as rewards for the consumption of vegetables. Instead, give stickers/ veggie diary as a reward
Trying new food
Your baby initially might pull funny faces when you offer new food. This doesn't mean that they don't like it. They're just getting used to new tastes and textures
-
Try not to delay introducing lumpy textured food (can start giving around 6-9 months). Children who were given lumpy solid food after 10 months of age tend to refuse to try new food
-
Repeated exposure- don't give up, try at least 15 times
-
Parental modeling- eating the same food in front of the child
"Parents provide, child decides"
Infants and toddlers communicate their feeding and psychoemotional needs with different eating behaviors. Not all crying is due to hunger. Be responsive to hunger and satiety cues as non-responsive feeding has been associated with poor dietary habits and increased risk of obesity.
If your child is playing with her food, it probably means she is full. So, look for satiety cues.
Adapted from Rafael et al. Nutrition today, 2017
Getting my child to eat healthy snacks and drinks
With the abundance of nutrient-poor foods and drinks available outside of the home, it is not an easy feat to get your child to have healthy feeding habits. Who can resist fried chips or drool over milkshakes?
Child < 2 years old: Be consistent and lead by example (having only healthy snacks at home, setting good examples)
Child > 2 years old: Habit formation sheet can be used. Have a specific plan, identify feasible triggers and coping plans, stick to this routine each time you are in this situation, and finally be consistent and persistent.
"I replaced fried potato chips with oven-baked sweet potato chips so that my son will have a healthy snack whenever he is hungry."
"I changed the driving route so that she doesn't see those fast-food eateries on the way home."