Is your child a picky eater? Here's what to do

Eating a balanced diet with proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins is important for children from the age of 1, yet when it comes to the practicality of filling their plate with all food groups, many parents find themselves struggling because of the children's reluctance to have certain foods. Serving picky eaters a nutritional diet is challenging as they are not really a fan of variety on their platter.

While some kids love their aloo parathas, others want to have just paneer. There are fruit lovers, and then there are milk haters. The good news is that a majority of children in their early years are picky eaters, but they would gradually grow out of it. If that is not happening, you must consult an expert.

But if you feel your approach could bring a change, here are tips by Prachi Kohli, Counselling Psychologist at Kaleidoscope- a unit of Dr. Bakshi's Healthcare to tackle a little picky eater.

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1. Do not label the child: Labelling the child as picky eaters can impact their self-esteem. Several studies have reported that around 80% of the Indian mothers consider their children as picky eaters. Hence labelling the child would just create an aversion towards eating along with impacting their self-esteem.

2. Acknowledge the hunger of the child: Just like adults children are also aware about their hunger. Do not force your child to eat if he or she refuses to eat. This would only create an aversion in the mind of the child, along with the feeling of anxiousness. Further, serve small portions to the child, and give them opportunity to ask for more.

3. Sticking to the feeding regime: It is essential for the parents to stick to the feeding regime and do not serve juices or other snacks in between the meals as it reduces the hunger of the child.

4. Do not go out of the way to feed the child: Once your child has refused to eat what is cooked, and you go extra miles to prepare something new for them, it reinforces their behaviour, and they would expect the same every time. Hence do not cook specially for your child.

"It is necessary that the parents respect the eating choices of the child. It creates an autonomy and independence in the child, along with making the meal time an enjoyable activity," says Kohli.

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