Nutrition and habits play a critical role in children’s development. Because the variety of foods your child consumes is of great importance for his mental and physical development. Therefore, your child’s nutrition is an extremely important issue for parents.
In the early years, your child depends on you for nutrition. However, he starts to eat on his own between the ages of 1-3. During this period, they learn to recognize foods and make choices according to taste. During this period, some children may show more interest in food, while others may show resistance to food. This may worry parents.
There may be various reasons why your child is a picky eater:
- He/she may not want to try foods that he/she does not know the taste of.
- Babies who are just starting to eat solid foods may not like food with a blurry appearance.
- Preparing food portions that are too large may reduce the child’s desire to eat.
- Putting pressure and insistence may cause the child to avoid eating.
- Parents’ picky eating choices can lead children to imitate.
- Having someone else feed you may mean not giving the child the opportunity to eat on his own.
- Eating in a distracting environment can distract a child from eating.
Here’s what you can do to prevent your child from being a picky eater:
- When your baby starts eating solid foods, try different foods.
- Help him discover new foods.
- Prepare age-appropriate portions.
- Give him the opportunity to eat on his own.
- As a parent, practice healthy eating habits.
- Don’t be pushy and avoid insisting.
- Limit snacks.
- Present the food in an attractive way.
- Avoid feeding in distracting environments.
Remember, your child’s eating habits are established at an early age and they tend to maintain these habits into later years. So be patient and try various methods to teach your child healthy eating habits.
