Local pediatricians offer advice to parents of picky eaters – nwitimes.com

Physicians say, however, that it is perfectly normal for young children to be fussy eaters.

“Kids normally become picky eaters around toddler age, 12 to 36 months,” says Dr. Kathleen Saoud, a Community Care Network pediatrician on staff at Community Hospital. “This tends to be normal at this stage of development.”

However, at what point should parents be concerned?

Dr. Samuel Khairkar, a pediatrician with Franciscan Crown Point Pediatrics, says if kids continue their picky eating habits well past the toddler stage, it may be time for parents to intervene and try some new approaches to encouraging their kids to try new foods.

“If they’re not eating a variety of foods, especially vegetables and foods with iron, since kids need more iron than adults, contact a pediatrician if you’re concerned,” he said.

Low levels of iron and vitamin D are common nutritional deficiencies in children, Saoud says. Signs of iron deficiency include lethargy, irritability, a pale appearance and poor feeding.

Iron deficiency can be suspected in children who consume less than five servings of meat, grains and fruits and vegetables per week, or if they drink more than 480 mL of milk or soda per day or have a daily intake of snacks high in fat or sugar, she said.

Pediatric patients with vitamin D deficiencies, on the other hand, are generally asymptomatic, Saoud said.

“Parents should ensure that children get a wide variety of foods,” she said. “They should try to eat fruits and vegetables from every different color of the rainbow in order to get a diverse range of vitamins and nutrients.”

Especially as children begin to explore new foods, Khairkar suggests that parents keep an eye on the foods children consume over the course of a week, rather than every day.

Although some parents still may be concerned, Khairkar says if children are eating vegetables a few times a week and have a good appetite and bowel movements, their children are likely on the right track.

Parents also can add a multivitamin to their children’s diets, Saoud says.

“Parents should continue to encourage children to try new foods,” she said. “If parents are concerned, they can start a children’s multivitamin. They could also speak with their pediatrician to see if additional testing would be useful.”

For parents who are looking for ways to encourage their children to try new foods, Saoud and Khairkar offer the following tips:

Offer a variety of foods early. Babies learn taste preferences early, so Khairkar recommends beginning to offer a variety of foods at around 9 to 12 months of age. Saoud adds to offer a variety of tastes, textures and even temperatures.

Eat meals together. “Toddlers tend to imitate adults, so use this time to model healthy eating,” Saoud says.

Resist the urge to make different meals. While it can be tempting to make one meal for the adults and one meal for the children, Khairkar recommends avoiding this. Instead, if a child refuses to eat what is served, do not discard the meal.

“Expect them to sit and wait, and if they don’t eat, then save the portions and keep it for when they’re hungry,” he said.

Saoud also recommends including at least one food a child likes with each meal, and limit distractions such as phones and TV during meal times.

Avoid forcing children to finish their plates. “It’s good for children to learn to listen to their bodies and use hunger as a guide,” Saoud said. “If they ate a big breakfast or lunch, for example, they may not be interested in eating much the rest of the day. Pressuring kids to eat, or punishing them if they don’t, can make them actively dislike foods they may otherwise like.”

Just because a child refuses food once, don’t give up. Keep offering new foods and those your child didn’t like before, Saoud says.

“Try different ways of cooking the food and different seasonings,” she said. “It can take as many as 10 or more times tasting a food before a toddler’s taste buds accept it.”

Try easy substitutions. If your child likes mashed potatoes, next time try mashed cauliflower, for example, Khairkar said.

Make food fun. Toddlers are typically more open to trying foods arranged in eye-catching, creative ways, Saoud says.

“Arrange food in fun, colorful shapes kids can recognize,” Saoud said.

Involve kids in meal planning, and let them pick which fruits and vegetables to make for dinner or during visits to the grocery store.

“Read kid-friendly cookbooks together, and let your child pick out new recipes to try,” she said. “Also, allow them to help with cooking. Some cooking tasks are perfect for toddlers, like sifting, stirring and counting ingredients.”