Help - My Child Won't Eat Review Draft - NDR-UK

Help, my child won’t eat!
HELP My Child Won’t Eat
A guide for families
Many children go through phases of refusing to eat certain foods or at times refusing to eat anything at all.
This is a normal stage in young children as they become wary of new foods. They need time to learn to like them.
Food refusal is often a way of showing independence and is a normal part of growing up.
Although it is very worrying, children will not harm themselves if they don’t eat enough for a short while. They may
need less to eat than you think.
It may help to discuss the problem with other parents who have already gone through the same situation with their
child.
If the problem shows no sign of improving, or if you are worried about your child’s weight and growth, you can
contact your Health Visitor, GP or dietitian for further advice.
What can I do
Offer regular meals and snacks, as this is better than letting your child ‘pick’ through the whole day. Young children
often need 3 meals and 2-3 nutritious snacks.
Always offer 2 courses at a meal, one savoury and one sweet.
Eat at the same time as your child if possible, as he will learn from you. Try and make meals enjoyable social
occasions.
Keep offering your child new foods even if they refuse them at first. Many children will need to taste a new food well
over a dozen times before they accept it. Eating new foods together with your child is important.
Sit together at the table. Use brightly coloured plates and cups. Present food in fun and attractive ways.
Try and eat in a calm, relaxed area, without the television or toys. Children are easily distracted!
Try not to rush a meal as your child may be slow to eat. However don’t let meals drag on for too long – half an hour
is about right.
If your child is over 1 year old and still having milk/drinks from a teated bottle, it is important to wean him of this
and encourage drinks from a free flow beaker. This will avoid your child using the bottle as a comfort and having
excess fluids which will interfere with his/her appetite for food.
How can I help
Never force a child to eat. However, it is important that you don’t constantly give into a child’s avoidance of
foods; otherwise they will never try new foods. Try to set boundaries around meal times and try to at least
encourage the child to have a small amount on their lips or on their tongue, or bite size amounts.
Your child is telling you he has had enough when:
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• he turns his head away
• he pushes the bowl or plate away or onto the floor!
• he screams or shouts
• he spits food out repeatedly
Although it is a very difficult thing to do, try not to show that you are worried or annoyed by your child not eating. If
he does eat, show him you are pleased (for example, smile and say ‘good boy, well done!’). If he stops eating at a
meal, try once to encourage him to eat a little more. If he doesn’t want anymore, take the food away without any
comment.
It is a good idea for children to use their fingers to play with food. Encourage messy food play. This doesn’t have to
be at meal times, in fact it’s sometimes more relaxed and fun if the food play is outside mealtimes. Do not worry if
they make a mess!
When your child eats well offer a reward such as taking him to the park or spending some special time playing
together.
Which food do I give when
• Give small portions of food at meal times. If these are finished, praise your child and offer more. Do not take
food away and offer a completely different meal if the first one is refused.
• Finger foods are often easier to manage as a child can feed himself. Try sandwiches, sausages, cheese slices,
cream cheese on crackers, potato wedges, fish fingers, vegetable slices and pieces of fruit.
• New foods need to be offered several times before children will even try them. It is a good idea to offer at
least one thing you know your child will eat at each meal.
• Giving children fizzy drinks, squash, milk, crisps, biscuits or cakes can fill them up. This means they may have
a smaller appetite for food at meal times. Avoid giving snacks too close to meal times.
• Milk is a nutritious drink but should not replace meals. Be careful not to let your child drink more than
600ml of milk in total during the day/night.
Sensible Eating for 1-5 Year Olds
Suggestions to help you:
Breakfast
Small bowl of breakfast cereal with milk or toast with butter/margarine and jam/honey. Cup of milk to drink.
Light Meal
Sandwich in bite size shapes for example ham and tomato, cheese and cucumber, peanut butter or baked beans or
cheese on toast. Small pot of yoghurt/fromage frais/fruit. Cup of water or diluted fruit juice.
Main Meal
Pasta dishes for example macaroni cheese, Spaghetti Bolognese.
Chapatti/rice and curry.
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Fish in white, cheese or parsley sauce.
Roast meat or mince for example shepherd’s pie.
Fish fingers/chicken nuggets.
Serve vegetables for example broccoli, fingers of carrot and swede, peas and a scoop of mashed potato.
Fruit segments/slices/shapes.
Cup of water or diluting fruit juice.
Also offer 2-3 small nutritious snacks each day.
Try a variety of foods for a well balanced diet
Food Groups
Milk and dairy foods
Aim for 3 servings a day. These can be given as full-fat milk, cheese, yoghurts, fromage frais, custard and milk
puddings.
Meat, fish, eggs and beans
Offer 2 servings a day. All types of meat and fish are suitable. Many children enjoy minced meat, sausages, chicken,
fish fingers and fish in sauces (try to include an oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardines – once or twice a
week). Chick peas, kidney beans and lentils make good casseroles. Hummus, dhal, eggs and baked beans are good
too!
Whole nits, including peanuts, may cause choking in children under the age of five.
Breads, rice, potatoes, pasta
Give these foods at each meal. Most children enjoy eating breakfast cereal and porridge. Other starchy foods to
encourage include bread, potato, chapatti, yam and green bananas, pasta, tinned spaghetti, rice and couscous.
Fruit and vegetables
Offer fruit and vegetables with each meal every day. Try raw and cooked vegetables, raw, cooked, dried or tinned
fruits or pure fruit juice. Encourage 5 small portions each day, but let your child eat as much as they choose to.
Fats and oils
Growing children need some butter/margarine and oils. Adding oils, butter and cream is a good way to increase
calorie intake.
Sugar and salty foods
Foods containing sugar are useful for adding extra calories. Offer them as a pudding and try not give them between
meals. Look after your child’s teeth. Try and avoid giving too many salty snacks and salty processed foods.
Vitamins
Children under the age of five should have vitamin drops containing vitamins A and D. This is particularly important
for faddy eaters, and all children of Asian, African or middle Eastern descent. Vitamin drops should be available at
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your NHS health centre and retail pharmacies. For information on NHS Healthy Start vitamins see
www.healthystart.nhs.uk
Ideas for nutritious snacks
Offer 2 or 3 each day
• Cup of milk with a biscuit, cake or muffin.
• Small bowl of cereal and milk.
• Cheese and crackers.
• Breadsticks, chapatti, pitta bread and cream cheese, peanut butter or hummus.
• Small sandwich.
• Small slice of pizza.
• Apple slice with peanut butter or cream cheese.
• Pancake with spreads such as fruit puree, jam or chocolate spread.
• Milk shake or fruit smoothie made with milk.
• Fruit pieces or vegetable sticks – for extra calories serve with yoghurt, cream cheese, peanut butter or
hummus.
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