It is likely that most of the parents are facing a situation at some period of time, when their kid refuses to eat. Even those dishes that he or she really liked a couple of days earlier and as a parent it is really hard to accept the refusal of your child. It seems that the only way child would eat is if being fed. Some parents even use negotiation or threatening tactics, which make the situation even worse. It is important to stay calm and not take it personally. Here are some thoughts that can explain your child’s behaviour:

Involve children in every step

Child feels pressured. Even if the parent is not saying it out loud “Eat your veggies now!”, child feels when the parent is worried or anxious. Maybe you have noticed that you are pushing the plate closer to your child, watching her or his every move, replacing the food that is left on the plate with something else, talking about the child’s lack of eating or trying to feed your kid. Even if it is really hard to watch your child refusing to eat, please give them a chance to be just like everyone else at the table. Let the child decide which dishes served on the table they want to eat and how much. When the meal becomes a family time, then the child could be more open to trying new or previously rejected foods. 

Kid feels like they have no say. Many researches show that children eat better, when they have a chance to participate in food preparation process – go to the groceries store together, help cooking, serving and cleaning afterwards. Take your kid with you to the store and introduce them different veggies and let the kid decide which of them are you going to buy this time, include children in menu planning and give them some easier tasks while cooking. Involving kids may make the whole process longer, but they will learn about food and would also be included in household duties. 

You can start with making smoothies together – the process is very simple and the child can pick all the ingredients that go into the smoothie. Play with vegetables, berrys, fruits and Be More superfoods, that way the kid feels involved and also makes a healthy meal. 

Child is bored of the same food. Usually, when parents are busy, they are making over and over again the dishes that everyone in the family would definitely eat. But usually adults don’t want to eat the same food all week long and neither do children. If you notice that you have served the same food many times and the kid refuses to eat it, ask if they are bored of it. Maybe it is time to prepare some other interesting dishes.  

For some children it is overwhelming to see too big portions. Try to serve smaller portions on the plate at first and give your child a chance to ask for more. You could also let your child serve the food themself. Ask your child about their preferences!

Trust your child

Kid is not hungry – their appetite can be unpredictable and changing. It is completely normal between the ages of 1 to 5 for a toddler’s appetite to slow down. It may seem that they don’t eat enough or are never hungry, but the good news is that as long as children have a good energy level and they feel good, there is no reason to worry. Kid’s brain is programmed to eat as much as they need for growth and energy. Offer kids food as usual and try to accept it if they say that they are not hungry. And also remind children that the kitchen would be closed until the next meal.

The first sign that the child is not feeling well or is about to get sick, is lack of appetite. Make sure that they stay hydrated and offer your child easy-to-digest foods so that it would be easier for the body to fight the disease. It is important that you don’t push your kid to eat. In case of constipation, offer your child high fiber grains, fruits, veggies and lots of fluids. Also you can make them smoothies, which are easy to digest and also speed up metabolism. 

Kid is too tired. Sometimes they are too tired after a long day in kindergarten or at school and have really no power to eat. If your child is rubbing their eyes, are about to cry or otherwise showing signs of “hitting a wall”, then probably they are just too tired to eat. Offer your child something lighter and easier to eat, for example Be More raw bar or Be More superfood mix. If they still refuse to eat, don’t worry, your kid is going to make it up the next day.  

There must not be distractions

Lots of distractions at the dining table. If children are allowed to watch TV, play games on their phone or tablets, then all of their attention is on the screen and they have no time to listen to their body.  Kid doesn’t pay attention if the tummy is full or not and then can accidently over- or undereat.  Playing with toys or siblings distracts the child as well. Make a rule that watching cartoons is not allowed at the dining table. Seat kids as far away from each other as possible, so that they could not play.

Too many snacks. Some children are snacking all day long and thus they are never hungry and it is also easier for them to refuse to eat. That is why it is really important that your child would have only 2-3 snack times a day in addition to main meals.  Children need to be given the chance to build an appetite and also learn self-regulation. All day long snacking may also affect a child’s relationship with food and nutritional intake that is needed for development and growth.

Also too much milk or juice before eating makes children feel full just for a short period of time, but it is enough for them to refuse to eat. In addition, juices contain too much sugar, that’s why water is the best choice to stay hydrated. 

Some healthy snacks for children that can be made with parents: 

• Yoghurt with chia seeds and fruits or berries
• Bread with hummus and tomato
• Fruit smoothie with celery and hemp seeds or with Be More superfood mix
• Handmade raw bars with nuts and raw cacao
• Cheesy oven baked zucchini-tomato “ships”
• Oven baked oat cookies with nuts and raisins
• Be More raw bars

Written by: nutritionist Julia Bõstrova

 

References: 

https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/shows.php?shows=0_xs2o10ra

https://www.sarahremmer.com/10-reasons-why-your-child-isnt-eating-at-meals-and-what-to-do/