Parents have many concerns with regards to their children's dietary habits. They constantly worry whether their children are getting enough nutrition.
At the ParenThots forum titled Getting Children to Eat Healthy, parents had a lot of questions for our panel of experts. Many of these questions were not discussed at the forum as there were just too many issues to cover.
Here is the full list of questions with answers provided by several experts:
Answered by paediatrician Dr Hon Mun Cheng:
Is my anxiousness in getting my child to eat making her avoid food?
Yes, I'm afraid anxiousness on the parent's part can contribute to irregular feeding patterns in a child. A child's development includes learning how to eat and regulating the amounts of each meal by themselves. Therefore, when the parent introduces this new “activity”, they must be calm and composed. If the child detects stress in the parent, it will result in increased stressful feelings in the child which will lead to the child associating food with stress.
The child can develop infantile anorexia which is defined as a feeding disorder of separation and is characterised by food refusal by the infant with intense conflict in the mother-infant relationship over issues of autonomy, dependency and control. It occurs after the infant has learned to regulate himself and has established an attachment to the primary caregiver.
The characteristics of the parent include having the perception of a child with poor appetite, being demanding of attention, being stubborn and difficult during feedings. The parental anxiety is expressed as coaxing the child to eat more, distracting the child with toys to induce the child to eat more, feeding around the clock, feeding different types of food or force-feeding the infant.
How will we know if our children are absorbing all the nutrition that we are providing them?
Usually if the child has no signs of malnutrition, does not suffer from diarrhoea or vomiting, he would have absorbed all the nutritional requirements that he needs.
How can we boost the children's immune system through their daily nutritional intake? What sorts of food should we give them?
Please follow the food pyramid.
As a rule, eat everything in moderation and eat all the different coloured vegetables. Include probiotics which are found in yoghurt in your daily intake. Omega-3 which is found in fish oil and flaxseed oil is also good for eczema and asthma.
I need to know about obesity in children. If my son is in that category, what can I do before it gets worse. ie: diet, food, activities, exercise etc.
The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has defined overweight as at or above the 95th percentile of BMI for age and “at risk for overweight” as between the 85th to 95th percentile of BMI for age. European researchers have classified overweight as at or above the 85th percentile and obesity as at or above the 95th percentile of BMI. In the clinical environment, techniques such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and skin fold thickness have been used extensively. Although these methods are less accurate than research methods, they are satisfactory to identify risks.
Interventions for childhood obesity include lifestyle changes like reducing sedentary activities like TV watching, playing videogames, etc and increasing physical activities like exercising, walking, etc. Increase healthy food intake and reduce unhealthy food intake. The lifestyle changes are best adopted by the whole family to produce the best results.
When can my toddler safely take solid food? Is it okay if my toddler takes porridge only once a day, and the rest of the day just takes milk with some cereal already mixed in? My toddler likes porridge with soup only and occasionaly he accepts it with mashed fish. Is it enough for him to just take porridge with soup? Is it fine to give him fruits? What types of fruits and how to take it? Blended?
Toddlers from 18 months to three years old can take solid foods under supervision if they have an interest in it. Your toddler can take three main meals and three snacks a day. Main meals include porridge, rice (cooked softer), pasta, noodles, bread, etc. Snacks include fruits (including fresh fruits and dried fruits), yoghurt, cheese, vegetable sticks like carrot, cucumber, etc. Fruits can be cut up to bite size or scraped off. You can give your toddler any fruit but be careful with rambutan, longan, lychee and others like these in view of choking. After one year, your child can take anything except seafood like crab, squid, prawn, peanut which I'd advise to try later for fear of allergies.
Answered by dietitian Nor Lizawati Che' Lah of Hospital Pantai Ampang:
How do you get kids to be interested in food in general and to try a variety?
To get kids to be interested in food is very challenging. You can try to keep your kids interested in their food longer by making mealtime as calm and uneventful as possible, without distractions from toys, television, or pets. Whenever possible, let your kids be involved in food decisions and preparations, including shopping and making meals and snacks. This will give them a sense of control over their diet. They will be more likely to eat something that they have chosen, or prepared, for themselves.
The best way to approach child nutrition is with an open mind and great flexibility. Taking pressure out of mealtimes is a major step on the road to solving eating problems. It is important to discourage fussy eating by introducing children to a wide range of foods during weaning and in early childhood. Eating as a family will encourage your toddler to be more adventurous as they see other family members enjoying different foods. Many toddlers go through a fussy eating phase called neophobia (fear of new foods). This is normal, and your child just needs time to learn that different foods are safe. Continue to offer a variety of foods and allow your child to watch you enjoying them.
My daughters are very picky when it comes to food. How do I educate them to eat “everything and anything”?
Provide a variety of good foods for your daughters to eat at each meal. Keep in mind that it takes numerous exposures to a new food for a child to see it as familiar enough to try. So be patient. When you do offer a new food, simply place it on the dinner table with everything else, and don't make a big deal about it. Don't put it right on your child's plate, which may seem threatening. Eventually, after your children have seen you eat the food a few times, they may feel more open to trying it themselves.
Don't give your daughters too many options at mealtime. If you say, “It's dinner time. What do you want to eat?” your children will probably choose something familiar, and they will seem like picky eaters. However, if you say “Here's dinner,” they will have to choose from among the foods you're offering. Of course, you won't want to offer an entire meal of unfamiliar foods because your children simply won't eat them. Instead, always offer a meal that includes at least one thing you know your daughters like.
Teach your daughters (without lecturing) about good nutrition. Hang a food chart in the kitchen and have them colour in the requirements as they both meet them each day, and mention nonchalantly that the oatmeal they eat will help them run and jump better this morning.
Why do children like to repeat things? My daughters tend to eat the same thing for certain periods of time. They can have the same menu for months and then only they'll ask for different foods. They tend to stick to certain preferred food. Just to quote an example, my eldest can have the same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 3-4 days. What should I do?
Yes, kids like to repeat things. Of course taking the same meal every day is not highly recommended. We need a variety in our diet to ensure that our body gets the optimal nutrient level that it should have; there is no single food that has all the nutrients that we need. However, for kids it’s different. Some experts might say as long as your kids’ development is good and they are healthy there’s nothing you should worry about.
There may be times when your child wants to eat a particular food again and again for a while, and then not want to eat it at all. Offer your child a variety of nutritious foods and let him or her choose what to eat. You may serve something you know your child likes along with another new nutritious food. But try to let your child explore new foods on his or her own. Don’t force your child to taste new foods. You may need to offer a new food several times before your child tries it.
Setting a good example for your child can also help. If your child sees you eating a variety of healthy foods, he or she will be more likely to give them a try.
What's the best way to educate 11-year-old kids about why they shouldn't eat certain food like ice (cold drinks) and too much of candy?
Giving advice is never easy. As parents you can talk to them, explaining the bad side effects that they are going to get if they continue to consume the “junk food”. Show them some pictures of diseases as this will open their eyes to the reality rather than you just mentioning it to them. Kids are more attracted to what they see rather than what they hear or read.
Any tips for working mummies to prepare a healthy meal?
Truth be told, everyone prefers to eat a good, home-cooked meal. But if you’ve just spent a draining eight hours outside the home, you may not have the energy to cook from scratch. You can create great meals that don’t take a long time; here’s how:
* Make a plan before going grocery shopping. Creating a meal plan for at least a week at a time will solve two problems. Firstly, you’ll know what you’re going to fix so you won’t be racking your brain after you come home trying to figure out what to fix. Secondly, you’ll be able to better control how much you spend because you’ll already know what ingredients you need.
* After you’ve done your shopping, wash all the vegetables and cut them up into the sizes you’ll need for each meal. This may take a while, but will save you a lot of time when you’re preparing each meal later. Don’t forget to grind your onion, garlic and chilies; you might need that for your cooking.
* Make your crock pot/ slow cooker your best friend. This one cooking tool can make your life so much easier, and your family much more satisfied with the meal. Put your ingredients into the crock pot, turn it on, and leave it alone. By the time you return home or finish other house chores, you’ll have a great home-cooked meal!
* If you don’t want to spend an entire day cooking extra meals, plan on cooking enough for one extra meal that you can use as a planned leftover one night.
* Instead of preparing a lot of dishes for your dinner try to make a simple and nutritious meal for you and your family. Noodle soup might help in this situation.
* When you plan a family favourite, prepare more than one meal’s worth. You can double, triple, or quadruple the amount that you make. Freeze the separate meals for later use. When you’re craving a particular meal and don’t have time to fix it, you’ll have one in the freezer; all you have to do is take it out and reheat it. Although this is not the best option to preserve the nutrient values but this will help working mothers a lot.
My five-year-old son refuses to eat solid food. He only drinks milk, and even that is difficult to feed him. We have to spoon-feed him! Sometimes he eats a bit of biscuits, yoghurt, chocolate, french fries and junk food. But he refuses to eat porridge, rice, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc. I believe he has a food aversion problem. When he was younger, he used to vomit whenever he saw food. He is very much underweight. He weighs only 12.5kg, when he should be about 18-20kg. My three-year-old and one-year-old sons eat normal and healthy food. They eat whatever we eat. Their weight is also normal (14kg and 11kg). How can I get my five-year-old son to eat healthy solid food? He has never eaten a grain of rice in his entire life!
My advice is you should have an evaluation with the paediatrician. If he is otherwise growing and developing normally, then his refusing to take solids may very well be normal, but it is important to rule out other disorders, so that treatment, if necessary, can be started. An evaluation is especially important if your child is not gaining weight and height or if he coughs, chokes, gags or vomits during feedings, which may indicate that he is aspirating during feedings and can lead to recurrent respiratory problems.
If it is not a medical disorder, here are some useful tips that you can try:
Develop a daily routine of three meals and two to three snacks and try to stick to it. Kids thrive on routine and knowing what to expect. He won't eat well if he becomes over-hungry, and kids who are tired will be too miserable to eat. Don't expect your son to finish the meal.
Limit mealtimes to about 20-30 minutes and accept that after this your son is unlikely to eat much more. It is better to wait for the next snack or meal and offer some nutritious foods then, rather than extending a meal trying to persuade your son to eat more.
Give small portions. Kids can be overwhelmed by large portions and lose their appetite. If the small portion is finished, praise your kids and offer them more.
Eat in a calm relaxed environment away from distractions such as the TV, games and toys. Kids only can concentrate on one thing at a time so distractions make it more difficult for them to concentrate on eating.
Don't offer large drinks of milk, squash or fruit juice within an hour of the meal. Large drinks will reduce your son's appetite. If he is thirsty, give him a drink of water instead.
Don't offer snacks just before or just after a meal. Don't give a snack soon after a meal if your son hasn't eaten well at his main meal. However, it is best to have a set meal pattern and wait until the next snack or meal before offering food again.
Don't assume that because your son has refused a type of food that he will never eat it again. Tastes change with time.
Finally, don't feel guilty if one meal turns into a disaster. Put it behind you and approach the next meal positively. Parents also learn by making mistakes.
My toddler is 15 months and she only eats her porridge if it is blended. Now I'm making it a little coarser so that she can start getting used to more solid food. She is not fussy and eats everything I give her. My question is: Is it okay to blend the food until she gets used to more solid food? I have read that food loses Vitamin C when it is blended.
Most toddlers go through a phase of only eating a very narrow range of foods. This is a normal part of toddler development. Your toddler needs time to learn that these foods are safe to eat and enjoyable. She will learn this by watching you and others eating those foods. Eventually she will widen the variety of foods she eats but some take much longer than others to do this. So, it is okay for her to consume blended porridge as long as all the needs are met and slowly change the texture of the porridge. The three major groups of nutrients (starch, protein and fat) have to be included in it.
Vitamin C chemically decomposes under certain conditions, many of which may occur during the cooking of food. Vitamin C concentrations in various food substances decrease with time in proportion to the temperature they are stored at and cooking can reduce the Vitamin C content of vegetables by around 60% possibly partly due to increased enzymatic destruction as it may be more significant at sub-boiling temperatures. Another cause of Vitamin C being lost from food is leaching, where the water-soluble vitamin dissolves into the cooking water, which is later poured away and not consumed. However, Vitamin C does not leach in all vegetables at the same rate; research shows broccoli seems to retain more than any other.
What are the “need to have” and “good to have” nutrition (or supplement food like vitamins) for an 11-year-old child?
A healthy diet is critical to an 11-year-old kid. At this age the nutritional demands are high. Specifically, young boys' chests and shoulders start to broaden, biceps and thighs acquire bulk and a boys' height starts accelerating faster than that of average girls. Therefore, they need a significant amount of nutrients to keep up with their increased energy requirements. Healthy food options are vital.
The 11-year-old boy has greater energy, fat and protein requirements compared to girl. According to the Malaysian RNI (recommended Nutrients Intakes), boys aged 10-12 need approximately 2,200 calories while girls need only 2,000 calories per day. This age group requires an estimated 45g of protein, 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 15 milligrams of iron.
Carbohydrates, a significant energy source, are necessary to boys' growth. Recommendations suggest that approximately one-third of a child's diet should include carbohydrates. Options might include rice, pasta, sweet potatoes, bread and cereals.
Fats also provide energy, while enabling the body to make use of vitamins. Yet the amount of fat should be monitored, so as not to elevate unhealthy cholesterol levels. Limit foods such as desserts, butter, fast food and fatty meats. Healthier options include fish, nuts, lean meats and yoghurt.
Another energy source, protein, can be found in adequate amounts in fish, dairy, eggs and lean meats.
To ensure adequate intake of calcium, which strengthens the bones and maintains the teeth, encourage kids to drink milk and consume cheeses and yoghurts. Two glasses of milk per day will be sufficient. Other non-dairy options include dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, nuts and cereals fortified with calcium.
Appropriate intake of iron helps maintain blood and keeps children from becoming anaemic, which can stunt growth and limit weight gain. Excellent choices for iron include red meat and fish, as well as beans, whole grain cereals and leafy green vegetables.
Don't forget fruits and vegetables, which supply the 11-year-old kids with a smorgasbord of vitamins and minerals. At least five daily servings of produce is recommended. Encourage the child to eat as many colours of the garden variety as possible to boost intake of essential nutrients.
As for salt and sugar, boys should limit intake as much as possible.
If your kid is lacking one of the nutrients, giving supplements might be helpful.
My first daughter (in primary 1) does not like to have breakfast, she only drinks her milk. How do I get her to have her breakfast?
Research has found that children who eat breakfast have better levels of concentration, increased problem-solving abilities, and a more positive attitude about school. Children who miss their morning meal often are irritable, tired, restless and easily distracted. Furthermore, children who skip breakfast can have impaired memory and verbal skills.
Plan a breakfast theme menu for each school day. Be creative and think of ways to get your child excited about eating before going to school. Discuss with your daughter what food she prefers for breakfast.
Set a good example by eating breakfast with your child. Use the time to talk with your kids.
Choose the food and beverages that have been fortified with the vitamins and minerals required for a growing child. This at least can help your kid get all the nutrients that she needs.
For maximum energy and brain power to last throughout the morning a good breakfast should ideally include something from each of these groups:
* Complex carbohydrate: cereal and bread.
* Protein: dairy products, eggs and nuts.
* Vitamins and minerals: fruit or vegetables.
As your daughter only consumes milk for breakfast, try to offer a healthy milkshake. Just add fruit to milk and some ice, and blend until smooth.
But remember; don't let your child fill up on sugary cereals, doughnuts, and pastries. Smart choices for breakfast are very important for your kids’ development.
What can be done when your child prefers jar foods and not your homecooked meals? What is in the ready-to-eat baby food that makes it appealing to kids?
Many varieties of processed baby foods add ingredients that are not essential or beneficial to your baby’s diet. These can include ingredients such as sugar, butter, salt and food seasoning. That is why some kids love to have the jar food compared to homecooked meals - because of the taste. But, at the same time most of the jar foods usually have little vitamin or mineral content. The food is cooked at such high temperatures, it destroys any nutritional value along with the flavour, that's why they can stay on the shelf for a couple of years.
Continue giving your baby homecooked food and stop offering any jar foods. After a few times, your child will get used to your homecooked food. Prepare your own baby foods whenever possible. With a blender or food processor it is easy to make a purée of most foods. Soft foods, like bananas, can be mashed with a fork. All foods, with the exception of bananas, should be well cooked. Refrigerate any foods that are not used right away. You can make large batches of baby foods, freeze them in ice-cube trays or small containers, and thaw them as needed.
My daughter doesn't like to take any kind of fruits, will this contribute to constipation? Are there any other foods that can supplement this besides Vitamin C pills?
Constipation might be caused by not drinking enough fluid, stress or a slow digestive tract and it is not just due to not having fruits in her diet. Adding fibre and fluids to her diet regularly (not just when she is constipated) may help. Fibre can not only be found in fruits and vegetables; there is also whole grains, like whole wheat, bran and oatmeal. So, if your daughter refuses to take any kind of fruits, replace it with other sources of fibre. Ensure your child drinks at least four to six glasses of liquids a day, and even more when the weather is warm.
Kids who eat balanced diets should get all the vitamins and minerals they need from the foods they eat, so supplementation usually isn't necessary. There are a lot of supplements which can be found in the market. You should discuss with your paediatrician or dietitian what are the best supplements for your kids.
My niece is 15 months old now. Currently she refuses to drink milk for no reason. It’s been like that for the past two weeks now. We try to replace her milk formula but nothing works. Right now she takes porridge twice a day, some bread, yoghurt and cheese just to make sure she gets enough nutrients. And she only has four front teeth. What should we do?
Toddlers aged one to three years old usually begin asserting their independence, showing preferences for foods, taking charge of feeding themselves and refusing to eat or drink certain things. Dairy products are an important part of a child’s diet. They contain protein, calcium, Vitamin D and other nutrients that help build strong bones, teeth and muscles. It’s recommended that your one-year-old have three to five servings of dairy products per day.
What you are doing now is great; you substitute the milk with other dairy products. This will ensure that she gets all the calcium that she needs. There are a lot of healthy snacks that are fortified with calcium; try to find one that suits you niece's taste buds.
You can also try making milkshakes or smoothies or you can try some recipes that use milk as their ingredients. Kids like to try something new.
Our son is 1 1/2 years old. What types of food should we avoid giving him? He is fussy and clearly loves fries and nuggets. Are there any other types of food that can replace these but taste the same?
Your toddler might suddenly become a picky eater or just not sit still until he has finished his food. One other common eating problem with children is that they seem to like one particular food one day and the next day, for no apparent reason, they reject the same food that they seemed to like just the day before! It is part of growing up.
* Avoid foods that could present choking hazards, like popcorn, hard candies, hot dogs, raw vegetables and hard fruits, whole grapes, raisins and nuts. Supervise your child at all times when eating.
* Avoid high fat, high sodium food, chocolate bars, sweets and candies, as these may expose your son to obesity problems later.
You can try making homemade fries and nuggets. This way you can ensure that your child is having a healthy meal instead of processed foods. Let your child have a variety of food and don’t give up.
My second daughter (three years plus) only likes to eat fried chicken and roti canai most of the time. Otherwise, she will eat bread or sometime she eats her brother's baby biscuits. What shall I do?
Teach your child to feed herself as early as possible, provide her with healthy choices and allow experimentation. Mealtimes should be enjoyable and pleasant and not a source of struggle. Common mistakes are allowing your child to drink too much milk or juice so that she isn't hungry for solids, forcing your child to eat when she isn't hungry, or forcing her to eat foods that she doesn't want.
Your child may now start to refuse to eat some foods, become a very picky eater or even go on binges where she will only want to eat a certain food. An important way that children learn to be independent is through establishing independence about feeding. Even though your child may not be eating as well rounded a diet as you would like, as long as your child is growing normally and has a normal energy level, there is probably little to worry about. Remember that this is a period in her development where she is not growing very fast and doesn't need a lot of calories.
As a mother you should:
* Stay calm and in control;
* Try fun and tasty recipes;
* Continue giving her a variety of food;
* Tell fascinating stories about food;
* Use a fun toddler feeding range; and
* Enjoy eating together.
Answered by paediatrician Dr Azam Mohd Nor of Hospital Pantai Kuala Lumpur:
Are all supplements off-the-shelf safe for children and without any side effects?
If you don't take it as an overdose, it should be safe. But, at the end of the day, is it a requirement to take supplements? Do you really need it? Make sure that these supplements are endorsed by the Health Ministry; don't take those that are not endorsed such as those sold by multilevel marketing (MLM) companies such as spirulina, etc.
If the supplement is endorsed by the Health Ministry and it is for children, there should not be adverse effects unless you overdose and when we talk about overdosing we mean really overdosing.
Will milk affect the child's digestion system?
If it's breast milk, definitely not. If it's cow's milk then it depends on whether the child has cow's milk allergy or not. If the child has cow's milk allergy, then definitely it would affect his or her digestion.
At the end of the day cow's milk is one of the most important supplements for the child's nutrition.
My child seems to not agree with any kind of milk except Friso Comfort (available at only one pharmacy in Kuala Lumpur) and the milk is made for “infant to two years old”. She gets constipation with the other brands of formula milk. Her water drinking habit is good so I don't think she lacks water. Currently, I'm mixing Friso Comfort with another brand of formula milk but still 80% Friso Comfort in the mixture as she doesn't like the sweet taste of the other milks. Is it okay to mix the milk with any other milk products to make sure she is getting the right intake of nutrients? I'm still breastfeeding but not exclusively. Please advise.
Infant formula is meant for children aged 0-1 year old. After that, you can even put the child on fresh cow's milk; this is what is being done by parents in the United States. Friso Comfort is something that is different – it's an infant formula but you can extrapolate it up till any age. It's not an issue at all. You can never get toxicity or problems from drinking infant formula. The only thing you may get is too much of calories and then you get fat. But, you don't have to complicate your life by mixing different formulas just because that formula says it's for 3-5 years old. You don't really need to do that.
If the child really likes Friso Comfort and there is no other milk that the child prefers, why don't you just use Friso Comfort? There's no reason why you should be changing or mixing the milk. Whatever it is that agrees with your child, go with it. But you must understand that Friso Comfort is not just an ordinary milk. It is a milk that is meant for children with digestive problems. It has got carob gum in it and that carob gum makes it easier for it to be digested. So, it is one of the milk formulas that can be used for children with reflux, constipation and all these things. If the child is going to be constipated with other milks, then why not go on with this. It's safe to be taken long-term. There is no reason why you should be worried.
I don't think you should be so worried and complicate it by getting different formulas and mixing them. I don't think it's worth the while. You can just stick with one milk. It's fine.
Another thing we have to be clear on is that if the milk says it's for children 0-6 months and you extrapolate it to when the child is 8, 10, 12 months, it's all right. It doesn't mean that if the milk says it's for 0-6 months, you have to stop immediately and switch to the next milk. Milk is not poisonous and after the age of six months, the child is able to eat so the nutrition that the child gets from then on will not be solely dependent on the milk intake. So, don't be too obsessed with the milk stages.
Why do you think my 20-month-old son doesn't like to drink milk? The daily milk consumed by him is only 8oz of milk powder (two times a day of which one meal is only 4oz). Is he getting enough nutrition? How to get him to drink more? What kind of supplement food can we give him?
Any kind of food. If this child doesn't want to drink milk, you can try soy-based milk or cheese or dairy products in different forms; you can give him cereals that contain milk. He can get nutrients from other foods. If you're worried about calcium, you can give him fish. These are all the things you can do to make sure the child gets his nutrients. So, if by some strange reason, this child doesn't like milk … there are some children like that, so all the parents need to do is look for alternatives. Most of the time if they don't like to drink milk, they like to eat their rice or porridge or fish. Don't be too focused on milk being the only thing they must have. There are ample foods out there that they can get their nutrients from, moreso when they are above one year old and start eating. That's when you can be a bit more relaxed.
My three-year-old son drinks formula milk from the bottle. He normally drinks 6-8oz of milk 4-5 times a day. Is this adequate for his age? What is the right age to take him off the bottle and how do I do it without interrupting his routine of drinking milk?
At the end of the day this is all to do with being adamant about what you want. Again, milk is not the only source of nutrients for the child. If he doesn't like to drink milk then look at other forms of food or nutrients that the child can get.
He can get nutrients from other foods. If you're worried about calcium you can give him fish. These are all the things you can do to make sure the child gets his nutrients.
If the child is eating very well, the milk intake doesn't matter anymore. Don't just look at milk; what else is the child taking?
This is not like when the child is 0-6 months and relies solely on milk. Then you might get worried if the child isn't taking enough milk. But, once the child has gone to three years and is eating, you don't base your calorie intake on just milk.
When it comes to bottle feeding, you can stop bottle feeding at any time. It's all a matter of when you want to stop it; when it is convenient for the parents to stop it. By three years old, by right you can start using the cup. You can start with the trainer cup and proceed to a regular cup. It's all about starting it and practising it.
What happens if kids love junk food so much and become addicted? Will it affect their brain development?
I guess at the end of the day you look at what's in the junk food – the colourings and preservatives. There are studies to show that junk food is a trigger to hyperactive disorder. I feel perhaps in certain children junk food acts as a trigger to hyperactivity, so I wouldn't say that junk food directly affects a child's brain. Not that I'm a fan of junk food but indirectly it may affect a child's brain development.
How do I introduce fruits and veggies to my child? What is the preferable time to start introducing vegetables? Any ideas on getting my child to eat their fruits and veggies?
Nowadays, we start giving children fruits and vegetables from six months and above in the pureed foods that we give them. I think we start from the word “Go” – from the time that the child starts eating. The earlier you expose children to numerous kinds of foods, the more they are able to accept different food products.
You can have the fruits and vegetables as snacks so the child needs to see it in the home and they need to see their parents eating it, too.
My grandchildren don't want to eat vegetables and it is also very difficult to make them take their meals daily. My grandson eats fish and granddaughter wants to eat noodles. When you give them what they want they still do not want to eat. Sometimes it takes as long as 1-2 hours for them to finish one meal. What can I do?
Don't make them the “boss”. You just serve whatever you want. Whether they take it or don't take it, it's up to them. These are bigger children, I presume. If they don't take it, they will feel a bit hungry. It's all about being a bit more stern with your set of rules. Once you start trying to please everybody, that's where the problem starts.
As you know, even though you give them the food that they like, they just won't eat it. They're just giving excuses but in actual fact they don't want to eat.
When they are hungry they will eat. The problem with Asians is that we feel the child should be eating a lot and be chubby and cute. This is the perception that we have. This is not right; we need to change our perception.
Serve them what you cook. If they don't want it, let them go hungry for a while. Then when they're hungry and want to eat, give them a healthy and nutritious snack – not something that they want. Because if you give them something that they want, then the next time they won't want their meal, they'll want the snack that they like, instead.
So, to answer the question, you need to be strict with the food that you give them and don't let them dictate the kind of food that you should be serving.
Under what pretext do they eat for one to two hours? Is it because they are eating in front of the television? This is again something that you should stop. You should discipline the children to eat at the table without the TV on and without any handheld toys for them to play with. This way, they should be done by 45 minutes, at the most. Nobody is going to sit at the table for two hours.
The only time it will take them two hours to eat is if they are watching television, running around or if they have other things to do. You need to be more rigid by getting them to eat at the table. Being Asians we have a tendency to chase after the children to feed them. You should get them to sit at the table. Train them to do this, and it will be okay.
My son doesn’t like to eat vegetables but he likes fruits a lot, such as kiwi, apple, banana, etc. Does eating fruit only provide him with the adequate nutrition and how do I get him to eat vegetables?
If you eat fruits alone, and not anything else, it won't be adequate. You need your carbohydrates and your proteins. However, fruits are equivalent to vegetables. So, if you mean the child isn't eating vegetables but eats fruits, I think it should be all right. That should be okay because the fibre is there and so is the nutrition. But do ensure he's also eating his carbohydrates and proteins, etc.
I have a three-year-old child who sometimes only eats plain rice, or the whole day only drinks milk. What can I do to make him eat or enjoy a complete meal? My kids sometimes eat biscuits/bread and refuse rice. Is that okay?
At the end of the day, this is about retraining your children and introducing them to a variety of foods. Don't get disheartened so fast. When the child throws the food away, you don't give up and go back to what they want. You need to show them who is the boss. Introduce the food over and over, over and over, over and over again. Usually, after a while, they will accept it and enjoy it.
Sometimes, it's a bit like an acquired taste to something unfamiliar. After a while of trying and trying again, they might like it. Everything is new to them and they usually don't like it when it's new. But after a while, if you were to keep on introducing it, introduce it in different forms, maybe eventually they will accept it.
The whole question about children not wanting to eat is about trying to discipline them. It's about trying to make sure they eat at the appropriate time and that they have got good eating habits. This is something that you need to cultivate from the word “go”. That's why eating in front of the television is not something that you should do. Eating together at the dinner table is something that you should practise. But, I guess with our lifestyle, this might not happen because everyone comes home at a different time. But if you cultivate the right eating habits from the start, this will not be an issue. Once you have these problems with their eating habits, it will take time to retrain them to have normal and healthy eating habits. It is not something that you can change within a day. It is a gradual change that you need to make.
One of the tips for picky eaters is to get creative with the food presentation and to get the children involved when cooking the food. When they choose the food they want to cook, the chances of them eating it will be higher. Being involved in cooking the food, it creates excitement and they will eat it. In that sense, I would encourage parents to get the children involved in preparing their meals.
Our daughter is (we think) a compulsive obsessive eater. How do we find out for sure and what can we do?
Maybe she just enjoys eating. There are some situations where there is a syndrome and the child is eating a lot. But usually in those cases there are also other symptoms – they might not be as bright as the other children, for example.
However, if you have a normal child who just likes to eat, I think all you need to do is try to restrict it. Maybe you can ensure she eats at appropriate times, try to stop snacking in between meals.
If you are worried then perhaps don't have the food in the house. The problem arises when you have more than one child. If you want to restrict one child from eating chocolates, for example, then all the children can't have it. You can't have some of the children eating it and that one child is restricted. Even the parents … you can't ask your child not to eat snacks, if you yourselves are having lots of snacks. It doesn't work that way. It's something you will have to look into. The family needs to look into the way they lead their lives – the parents are the example for their children.
How to get a 9.5 month old child to eat (he only lives on milk, bread and cheese and if porridge, just five spoonfuls only)?
This is the usual scenario – the child wakes up and the first thing the mother gives is milk. The child gets full and then the parent wonders why the child doesn't want to eat. Then the parent gets frightened and anxious so they give another bottle of milk. So, you never let the child become hungry. In other words, if you don't let the child become hungry, how are you going to get the child to try new foods?
When you want to introduce new foods, you must give it when the child is really hungry. When they wake up, the first thing you should do is give the porridge. This is the time when the child is really hungry. If they don't want to take the porridge, give it a half an hour rest. Don't give anything else yet. Then reintroduce the porridge again. Definitely they will eat because when you're hungry you will eat anything. They will eat. Sometimes we just give them too many options so it becomes difficult.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
