Ruth Gagliardi

Rowan County Health Department

­There are many factors that influence the foods that we eat depending on where we live, the culture we live in and the people around us. The primary influence on the foods we eat is our family. A baby will first start paying attention to what the rest of the family is eating around the age of 4-6 months. They may quickly discover the foods on mom’s or dad’s plate taste different than the ones that come out of a jar.

From a health and wellness point of view, we want children to learn to eat many different kinds of foods, foods from all the different foods groups. The idea is that people who eat a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, tend to be healthier. They have a greater opportunity to get a wide variety of nutrients from the foods they eat. However, the point of view of a small child is different. They don’t always want to eat healthy foods. They like foods that taste “good.” They like foods that are familiar, and new foods are sometimes scary. We all tend to naturally like foods that are sweet, creamy, crunchy and salty.

So what is a parent to do? Many times when you read about feeding young children, they will divide the roles and responsibilities into two groups: adults/caregivers and children. It is the adult’s or caregiver’s job to decide when meals and snacks are offered and what foods are offered. The goal is to offer foods from all the foods groups each day: fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats/proteins and grains. It is healthier to use less processed foods such as whole grains and whole fruits and vegetables versus processed foods such as white bread and juice. The reason for that is simple. The more we process a food, the more likely we are to take out good stuff (vitamins, minerals and fiber) and add in bad stuff (sugars, salt, fats and other chemicals).

If we let children decide how much to eat, that means there are going to be days they don’t eat very much. There may even be days that they don’t eat at all. This is a common behavior, especially among children 2-5 years of age. We want children to learn to eat when they are hungry, so generally, it is OK for a healthy child who is growing well overall to skip a meal or even several meals. Now, there are some things to look out for. Filling up on juice, milk or sweet drinks is not the same as not being hungry. Waiting for a favorite snack (cookies, fruit snacks, chips) is not the same as not being hungry. Only eating certain foods instead of what the rest of the family is eating is not the same as not being hungry.

These are some suggestions to help manage picky eating behaviors and to help children learn to eat in a way that will support good health for a lifetime:

• Remember that learning to eat different kinds of foods is a process. It takes time and practice for kids to figure out which foods they eat.
• Expose your child to different kinds of foods. Look for unfamiliar fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. Go to the farmer’s market and see foods that are grown in our county/state. If you don’t know, ask about ways you can prepare a new fruit or vegetable.
• Eat the foods you want your kids to eat. Let your child decide if they like a food even if you don’t like it.
• Meal time should be pleasant. You don’t want to have a battle each time you sit down for a meal.
• Help children understand the difference in everyday foods we need for a healthy body and “sometimes” foods that we eat once in a while. Sometimes foods are ones that are high in fat and sugar such as candy and chips.

 

Ruth Gagliardi is a nutritionist in WIC at the Rowan County Health Department. For more information on WIC or Health Department services, call 704-216-8777.