The best way to deal with a fussy eater and recipes to strive for teenagers

By Sneha Sanjay D.

A child’s nutritional and nutritional habits are a central issue in any household, especially in a household with a picky toddler. As a parent or carer, try to fight the fights around the dining room table, understand the child’s behavior and interests in relation to food.

Some toddlers go through a phase in which they only eat a few specific foods. This is a normal part of their development. Many toddlers experience this between the ages of one and two. Fussy eating usually peaks in toddler and preschool ages. Toddlers also learn many new skills such as speaking, walking, running, climbing, etc., which makes them less interested in food. Parents should also know that a toddler’s tummy is roughly the size of a clenched fist.

Establishing healthy eating habits is important to avoid problems like obesity and eating disorders later in life.

Factors that can prevent the child from eating can include:

• illness – Even a simple cold, cough or indigestion can be a reason for the child to be picky.

• fatigue – If the child is very physically active and playful for most of the day, the restlessness increases.

• Emotionally upset – Children also have mood swings. Comfort the child and try to feed them later.

• Delay in the texture transition of food – At the right age, different food textures (finely pureed, hand-pureed, soft solids) must be introduced so that the child can get used to them by the first birthday.

With children like that at home, meals can be frustrating for parents and traumatic for children too. The best answer to dealing with the situation is not to get frustrated, but to look at these options, which can be very helpful.

role of the parents

1. Respect the child’s appetite: As a parent, don’t be too strict about what a child eats all the time. Give the child some freedom to choose between healthy food options.

2. Recruit a child’s help: Kids love to be part of the simple kitchen that encourages them to eat without being fussy. Involve them in activities like sorting vegetables / fruits, choosing groceries from the shopping list, washing vegetables, etc.

3. Get creative: Make innovative yet simple recipes to keep them interested in the food and have the child eat the food on plates too.

4. Avoid being a special cook for all of the child’s needs: Don’t give in to all of a child’s demands as this is not a healthy practice.

5. Be patient with new foods: Offer new types of food in various forms gently and frequently.

6. Minimize distractions: Gadgets (TVs / tabs / cell phones) are not a good answer for all meals.

7. Set a good example: As a family, eat mostly healthy and homemade foods. Use healthy dips like yogurt, hummus, traditional curries, or fresh, cream-based salad dressings to encourage kids to eat fruits, vegetables, and meat.

8. Stick to a routine: Set a specific meal time so the children know how everything goes. This also makes them feel hungry at the right time.

9. It’s fun: Toddlers really look forward to trying the food on offer in a variety of shapes, colors and textures.

10. Don’t offer dessert as a reward: Instead, offer incentives such as: For example, going to a park with them, playing with them for a while, or engaging them in a physical and fun activity that encourages physical activity that stimulates appetite and creates hunger.

Quick and healthy recipes

Nutri muffins

You need:

• Egg-1

• Finely chopped vegetables – bell pepper, onion, tomato, broccoli, coriander

• salt

• pepper

• Turmeric powder

Method:

• Beat the whole egg.

• Add all of the ingredients mentioned

• Mix well and pour into the muffin tin

• Bake it in the oven or a preheated pressure cooker

Rainbow cutlets

You need:

• Toor Dal, coarsely ground

• Big Sooji

• Vegetables: carrot, beans, grated cauliflower, amaranth, red cabbage, peas

• Salt and pepper powder

Method:

• Mix the sooji and coarsely ground Toor Dal with salt.

• Put water in a thick-bottomed vessel and while cooking, add the Toor-Dal-Sooji mixture and all kinds of finely chopped vegetables.

• Pressure cook it to an Upma consistency.

• Add pepper powder, mix everything thoroughly.

• Shape into a schnitzel, fry flat on a tawa with fresh cream or ghee.

Dal Poori

You need:

• The office gave

• Whole wheat flour

• ginger

• salt

• oil

method

• Soak Urad Dal for 2 hours. With half an inch of ginger, grind it into a fine, thick paste.

• Add salt and urad dal puree to the wholemeal flour and knead into a poori dough.

• Roll it into different shapes and fry.

healthy pancakes

You need:

• Multigrain flour

• Dried fruits: figs, almonds, dates, sunflower seeds

• milk

Method:

• Dilute milk.

• Soak all the dried fruits in warm water for half an hour.

• Grind it into a fine paste.

• Add all of the above ingredients to the multigrain flour.

• Mix well to a dosa batter consistency

• Make a thick and soft pancake on a pan with a dollop of butter.

• Honey can be added to the fresh pancakes at the end instead of mixing with batter.

Moong paneer bun

You need:

• Moong off

• Paneer, rubbed

• salt

• pepper

• Jeera

Method:

• Soak Moong Dal for 2 hours and grind to a smooth consistency without using much water.

• Mix salt, pepper and jeera into the batter.

• Make a dosa in a preheated pan with oil.

• Once flipped on both sides, add grated paneer and roll it up.

We hope these tips and recipes will make meals with your toddler more enjoyable.

(The author is Senior Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bengaluru-Jayanagar)

Download the Indian Express app for the latest parenting news.