Help your children grow positive about food

Catering to your child’s every whim at the dinner table is not only a hassle, it can be seriously detrimental to their health.

According to Ballito-based specialist paediatric dietitian Claire McHugh parents need to realise they have a responsibility to encourage their children to foster a positive relationship with food.

“Many parents, out of love for their kids, are afraid to be strict at the dinner table. But in the long run it is far more detrimental to cave when they demand sandwiches when you offer a balanced meal, most especially the dreaded vegetables.”

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McHugh said children were fast learners and once you started making them a meal separate from the rest of the family they would continue to refuse healthier options.

She suggested rather allowing your child to miss a meal and experience hunger once in a while as it would do them no harm.

“Absolutely do not give in to your child’s demands. Your home is not a hotel. If you want them to become good eaters your children have to understand that what you put on the plate is all that is on offer.”

Her advice to the parents who already had a fussy eater: “Include a ‘safe food’ on the plate that you know they like but remain firm, it is for their own good.”

McHugh said parents need to establish a routine of three meals a day with two snacks in between.

“Children who nibble throughout the day will not be hungry at meal times.”

She said maintaining a healthy diet required balance and variety.

“Divide the plate into quarters. A quarter each for fruit, vegetables, protein and starch. The protein serving is the size of the child’s palm and the starch the size of a fist. The fruit portion could be kept for snacks or served as dessert.”

McHugh stressed that water must remain the main fluid of the day.

“Excessive milk and juice only fill the tummy and reduce appetite for nutritious foods. By only offering milk at waking and bedtime you can prevent this from happening. From 12 months old a child is able to handle full cream cow’s milk. Switch to low fat milk from age two.”

While many parents continue to offer fortified milks to toddlers, McHugh said they were not at all necessary within a balanced diet and nothing but a marketing ploy.

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