ASK A USCF BENIOFF OAKLAND CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OAKLAND/WALNUT CREEK EXPERT:
Gail Seche, MMSc, RD, CSP. Manager, Pediatric Clinical Nutrition, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
Q: Sometimes parents feel that feeding their young child can regularly turn into a battle of wills. What should you do if your child refuses to eat new foods or turns down foods that were previously offered and refused?
A: Forcing food acceptance or intake can make a child even more resistant. Offer new and previously refused foods, and let the child approach them gradually. It may be helpful to allow exploration of new foods. Children learn by using all of their senses — so they may need to touch or smell the food to learn about it. Children often want to do their before deciding if new foods are okay to try. Once they do taste the new food, allow them to eat it gradually so they can get accustomed to the taste and consistency.
Q: Does bribing or rewarding children with special foods, candy or desserts ever help children “eat their vegetables?”
A: If you use sweets as rewards for finishing a meal or eating a vegetable, your child learns that some foods are better than others. Treat all foods as equals. Allow your child to say when he or she has had enough to eat. If the rest of the family eats dessert, offer it to your child as well, regardless of how much he or she has eaten.
Q: Is it okay to feed young children separately or should they eat with the rest of the family?
A: Children should not be isolated at meal times because they will not learn by example. Eat with your child and encourage family meals. If you want your child to have good manners at meal times, he or she needs to see other people having good manners. If you want your child to eat foods that the family likes, allow the child to see the family eating those foods as well.
Q: If children drink beverages (milk, juice, sweet drinks) between scheduled meals or snacks, does this ruin their appetite?
A: Even a few sips of juice or milk can spoil a child’s appetite for meals and snacks. Setting a regular schedule for meals and snacks helps children acquire healthy eating habits. Young children can be fed every 2 to 4 hours. Allow only water between scheduled eating times so that your child is hungry the next time he or she sits down to eat.