Picky Eaters – How Concerned Should You Be If Your Child Refuses to Eat Right?

Dear Timi,
My three year old must be the pickiest eater in the world. I’m having the hardest time to make him eat at least one full meal a day. It’s beginning to concern me that he may not get even his most basic nutritional needs met. I have tried many things to trick him into eating without much success and I’m reaching the end of my wits. Any ideas how to convince this little “hard head” that he must eat his food?

Dear Reader,
Most kids go through phases where they test your strength and resolve as well as their own. The dinner table is just one of the battlefields. And it’s not always about food, even when food is the issue of contention. If you don’t take the bait and don’t make a big deal out of it, it will eventually subside. Keep offering your son a variety of healthy foods and don’t ever try to bribe him with treats of lesser nutritious quality, such as candy or ice cream. It’s a myth to think that kids have naturally a sweet tooth.

In the section of this blog titled “Kids Love Healthy Foods,” I express my belief that kids learn to love healthy foods as much as they learn to love anything. All preferences in a child’s life are learned, including eating preferences. It’s up to you as the parent to channel that learning process in the right direction. The best way to go is by example. If you practice what you preach, e.g. eat a healthy diet yourself, buy wholesome foods, keep to regular meal times, sit down for dinner with the entire family, etc. – your kids will naturally adopt. Once they reach the age where they make lifestyle decisions for themselves, your influence will be gone. So, you better lay the tracks now.

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