Ask any parent and they’ll tell you how difficult it can be to get kids to eat what’s on their plate. Maybe it’s always chicken nuggets and never enough fruits and vegetables. It’s a constant struggle, but Marty Allison, MD, FAAP, with Avera Pediatrics explains why good nutrition is vital to pediatric health.
Why is proper nutrition important?
Nutrition is really important for a child’s growth and development. So making sure they are getting their vital nutrients, macronutrients and micronutrients is important, especially in the first couple years for brain development and overall growth and development.
What are some of the key problems or behaviors that are present in picky eaters?
A lot of kids are going to be what we call picky eaters. I think some of that is normal. Traditionally, this kid will only have certain things that they'll eat. They have a limited repertoire of things that you can put on their plate, but that's normal. We worry about it when it gets too overly restrictive. For parents, I say your job is to put the food in front of them. You decide what, when and where in terms of meals and the kid gets to decide how much of or what they're going to eat. In general, kids do a really good job of knowing when they're hungry and knowing when they're full. So, it's important to let them listen to their own body and take their cues and be respectful of that. For the most part, kids do get what they need even though each meal might not be perfect. Over the course of time, they tend to get what they need if it's offered to them.
What are some good ways to help correct picky eating?
Generally I say to offer a variety of foods and what the family is having for dinner is what every kid should have at the table. You shouldn't be making separate meals for each kid. Kids do have their own tastes, so you should put a variety of foods in front of them on their plate. Kids have what we call safe foods, like a fruit or vegetable that they'll eat; so if you put some new foods on there, too, they may try new things. Some meals are going to be better than others, but the key with kids is offering, offering, offering. They have to have exposure, exposure, exposure. They say it takes 13 exposures before a kid is going to even think about trying something new. So even though, you know they don't like it, jstill put it in front of them and eventually they are going to try it.
Read More: How to Introduce New Foods to a Picky Eater
Why are you so passionate about kids’ nutrition?
I'm passionate about it because I know how much of a role nutrition plays in your overall health and wellness. If you start early with good habits, it translates to a healthy lifespan. We know that 80% of chronic disease is lifestyle, so you can modify a lot of your health by what you eat, through your exercise, your sleep, all those lifestyle things. Also parents, I would say the most important thing is to be a good example. So if you're having a soda at supper, but you’re telling your kid to drink water, you know that's not going to go over so well. Kids learn by example and if a parent is a good example on eating a variety of foods and have an overall healthy eating pattern, kids are going to pick up on that. They're pretty smart!
What do you wish more parents knew about nutrition?
The biggest thing is that a lot of picky eating is to some degree normal. I mean, you're a very lucky parent if you have a kid who will eat anything that you put in front of them. Most kids are going to have some likes and dislikes. So I would say don't stress about it too much. Kids are good about listening to their own cues. So respect that. And if you really have concerns, then definitely bring it up to your provider.
Learn more about children’s care at Avera
