Child's disinterest in healthy home cooked food starts from an early age of 6-7 months. There are several reasons behind a picky eater child: <ol><li>Medical Challenge - Allergy, Reflex, Constipation</li><li>Oral-motor Challenge - Chewing, Breathing, Swallowing</li><li>Sensory Challenge - Recognises only few flavours or smell</li><li>Temperament and mood - Easily frustrated so feels and express the internal emotion.</li><li>Early exposure to junk food - This is the most common</li></ol> What can be done to make your child eat all kinds of food:<ul><li>When during the initial months of introducing food to child, do not introduce sugary chocolates, junk food like packed food items, extremely spicy or salty food or else the child will develop the taste for those kind of things. If you introduce foods which are higher on the taste spectrum, the child will throw tantrums when you give him/her healthy food. In this case you can always start slow by making their food interesting, example - using ingredients they like and garnish their food with smileys. Using decorative plates and cups also helps.</li><li>Be patient: If your child throws tantrums on seeing healthy home cooked food, do not melt and give the junk food just because your child is crying. Be strong because developing a new habit will take time.</li><li>A child who has eaten chocolates will not adjust to khichdi. Khichdi does not have the same taste as chocolate. A child is driven by taste and not by nutrition.</li><li>Make sure that everyone in the family eats the same dish. Special dishes should not be prepared for everyone. If the child watches that special dishes are being prepared for someone in the family, the child also learns to demand the same.</li><li>Do not keep any distractible food on the table - like sugary or spicy foods.</li><li>Make it a point that everyone eats together in their own plates. This way the child learns to eat everything and also on their own.</li><li>Keep a fixed meal time.</li></ul>

It is not right to completely put the blame on kids for their disinterest in healthy food. As parents, we need to reflect on ourselves and take necessary measures for the same.

Child being choosy about food

Chewing may start around 6-9 months. By 10 months, your baby should be given textured food and opportunity to chew. Babies can do light chewing till 1.5 years as they still lack molar teeth. There can be several reasons behind a child not chewing its food properly:<ul><li>Late introduction of food</li><li>Delayed development of motor skills (jaw, tongue, swallowing)</li><li>Disinterest in food because of test, texture, or flavour</li><li>Boredom of same food</li><li>Allergy</li><li>Consumption of milk three times</li><li>Big portions</li><li>Distraction</li></ul> Please refrain from the following behaviour:<ul><li>Generally, parents put on child's favourite cartoon or TV programme and feed their child. For parents, the only concern is to make the child eat sufficient amount of food so as soon as this is done, they think that their part of duty to feed the child is over.</li><li>This is where children get into the bad habit of eating while watching T.V. When a child eats in front of the screen, (s)he does not know what (s)he is eating. The child will also not chew the food properly.</li><li>If a child observes that his/her parent is taking a sandwich in their hand while going to office and eats moving around the house or watches television while eating, the child will learn the same. The child models their parents’ behaviour and thus (s)he doesn’t chew properly. Either they eat too slow or just gulp without chewing.</li></ul> For improvement, take the following steps:<ul><li>When a child eats food on their own, proper chewing habit develops easily. This way the child becomes independent and learns to do his/her own thing. So encourage them to eat their food on their own.</li><li>Make it a point to have a family meal time where everyone eats together.</li><li>Vary the type of food, food's texture to keep the food interesting for your child.</li><li>Instead of a screen, tell them stories or talk to them while feeding them.</li><li>Make sure there is sufficient gap between meals. When the child is not hungry, (s)he does not chew the food properly. Take this as a sign that your child is not hungry.</li><li>You can constantly keep telling them about the importance of chewing process and help them develop this habit by following it yourself.</li><li>Eat with them, but in a different plate. When a child watches you eating calmly and properly, (s)he learns the same.</li></ul>

Kids tend to skip chewing and try to swallow the food directly. Do not get angry, try to be patient and address the problem.

Helping child to chew food properly

As per the doctors’ recommendations, a child shouldn’t be given anything till 6 months. Child should only be breastfed till 6 months. This is applicable for masses. But this can be customised depending upon a child’s health and under parental supervision; a child can be introduced or can be given liquidised food and water from 5 or 6 months. Liquid foods should be those which are culturally acceptable. These include – fruit juices, vegetable soups, daal or moong water, non-veg soup, etc. Children should be encouraged to drink adequate amounts of fluids. While introducing new foods, parents should keep 2 things in mind: <ol><li>Never introduce 2 foods at the same time. If you are giving daal water today, do not give fruit juice on the same day. It helps in identifying any consequences/allergic reactions or adverse effect due to new foods. Let the child get habituated to a new thing for at least a week and then introduce a new food item.</li><li>The quantity also matters. On the first day start with 2 spoons of say daal water, on second day 4 spoons, likewise keep increasing quantity gradually for a week and if the child is able to digest it all well. In the second week you can introduce fruit juice along with daal water. Keep the quantity in check and ultimately know how much is enough for your child.</li></ol> Please note:<ul><li>Children’s appetites may vary, not only from day to day, but also from one meal to the next.</li><li>Children have smaller stomachs than adults so it is important to consider portion size when plating food.</li></ul>

Introducing food at the right age will make your child habituated with eating all kinds of food.

Food at the right age

No human can stay hungry for long. Hunger is an integral part of survival. Every child has his/her own set of likes and dislikes when it comes to food. So the problem should not be that a child does not eat, rather the problem is that the child does not always eat what his/her parent wants them to eat. Every child likes something or the other. Identify that and feed them that. Introduce new foods along with their favourite foods.A few things which you can keep in mind:<ul><li>Avoid introducing junk foods with high taste levels at a young age: For example, if you introduce chocolate too soon, your child will be habituated to an intense sugary taste. Also, chocolates, biscuits, wafers have more calories. So if children eat 4-5 chocolates or biscuits, their calorie count is fulfilled and they will not require any more food for the whole day. These foods are highly rich in calories but do not provide other quality nutrition. Eating excess junk food will result in nutrient deficiency when they grow old.</li><li>Stop giving any junk food altogether: If you totally stop giving chocolates or biscuits, the child will gradually divert towards healthy nutritious food because no one can survive without food. You will have to work hard to develop a new habit of eating healthy and this can be time consuming and can demand a lot of patience.&nbsp;</li><li>Work as a team: When you know some things are not right for your child’s health, sit with the entire family and convince everyone to not give junk food every time a child demands. By being stricter, gradually your child will develop healthy eating habits.</li><li>Be a role model: If you want your child to follow your instructions, you too will have to say goodbye to your junk food habits. A child learns the most from his parents. Eat healthy and so will your children.</li><li>A frequent intake of sugar and sugary foods and drinks between meals causes tooth decay. Snacks and drinks taken between meals should be sugar-free.</li><li>Do not add more salt in the food either while cooking or at the table, as babies’ kidneys are not fully developed.</li><li>Every day, children need three meals plus snacks. Provide nutritious meals and snacks.</li><li>Young children are very active and have high energy (calorie) and nutrient needs in proportion to their small body size.</li></ul>

Children learn from your behaviour. Changing your eating habits will help them develop healthy eating habits as well.

Developing healthy food habits

Prachi Shah

Food in the first 6 months:A baby receives all the nourishment during the first six months from either breast-milk or infant formula milk. Health experts recommend that babies should take solid foods after six months in addition to breast-milk (or the baby’s usual formula milk) to allow them to grow and develop. Foods to avoid in first 9 months: <ol><li>Salt: Do not add any salt in babies' food as their kidneys are not fully developed.</li><li>Sugar: Do not add sugar to foods or drinks you give to your baby. Sugar encourages a sweet tooth in children and leads to tooth decay.</li><li>Honey: Do not give honey to a child under the age of one year, as it may contain a kind of bacteria which can produce toxins in the baby’s intestines and can cause a very serious illness (infant botulism).</li><li>Nuts: It is recommended that nuts and products containing them should not provided to children. This is to protect children who may be at risk of nut allergy. Whole nuts should never be given to children under the age of five because of the risk of choking.</li><li>Foods which contain gluten, e.g. wheat flour, bread, breakfast cereals made from wheat, rusks, spaghetti or other pastas</li><li>Citrus fruits, including citrus fruit juices, e.g. orange juice</li></ol> Food from the 7th month:<ul><li>All family foods can be offered at this stage – remember not to add salt while cooking or at the table.</li><li>Mash food with a fork. This will encourage the baby to learn how to chew.</li><li>By this age the baby should be having three meals a day and eating more at each spoon feed.</li><li>The amount of milk can be gradually reduced as the baby eats more solid food.</li></ul> Food from the 9th month:<ul><li>During this stage babies will move on from mashed to chopped foods.</li><li>Continue to offer all family foods at this stage.</li><li>Continue to give three meals a day plus 1–2 snacks.</li><li>At this stage babies will continue to receive 3–4 breastfeeds each day</li><li>Encourage babies to eat a wide variety of foods</li><li>By this time introduce cups to your baby.</li></ul> By the age of 12 months, the baby should be introduced to all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Dried fruits should be introduced after one year.

Gradual introduction of different foods leads to proper development in children.

Diet for babies from 0 to 12 months

<ul><li>When a grownup child of 4 or 5 years does not eat food on their own, it is a matter of concern. Actually, the training of a child eating on their own should begin in early years. When a child in of 6th or 7th month, (s)he tries to put everything in the mouth and that is the age when the child is eager to eat on his/her own.</li><li>At this time, the parent doesn’t allow thinking that the child is too young to eat on his/her own and will create mess like making their clothes dirty or floor and because the child will take longer time. So the child is being spoon fed and later when they get habituated to be fed by the parent, the parent starts complaining.</li><li>So the whole approach towards feeding needs to be changed. Child should be allowed to eat on his/her own even when (s)he creates mess or takes time.</li><li>Finger food which can be put on their fingers like fryums, cucumber or toast sticks, fruits are the kinds of food children like to eat on their own. Make food interesting for them and gradually they will develop the habit.</li><li>Of course developing a new habit is going to take time and you will need to be patient with your child.</li></ul>

When a child is ready to eat food on its own, (s)he will give you signals. Look for the signals and you will know how to help your baby.

Helping Children eat food on their own

Palak Vyas

<ul><li>Generally there is a notion that a gluten free diet is healthy but it is not true for everyone. Gluten free diet is for those who have either 1) celiac disease (immune reaction against eating wheat) or 2) non celiac gluten sensitivity. Gluten present in wheat, barley, rye and other products can be troublesome for celiac patients and it can make gluten sensitive people sick.</li><li>So if the kid has any of the above conditions you can go gluten free otherwise it isn’t wise to keep your child’s diet gluten free.</li><li>Gluten free diet generally includes food like vegetables, high quality protein, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado), fruits and grains that do not have gluten.</li></ul> Reasons why you should not have gluten free diet for your child:<ul><li>Whole Grains that contain gluten have lots of crucial nutrients including B vitamins, antioxidants, iron, selenium, magnesium etc. Excluding whole grains will lead to nutrition deficiency in children.</li><li>Whole grains have fibre too which is good for digestion.</li><li>Gluten free diet can be too low in calories for growing children. It is hard to get healthy calories from other sources.</li><li>Gluten free diet can be high in arsenic. Those who do not eat wheat prefer rice as a staple food. Now rice and rice products are rich in arsenic which is not good for the baby’s body.</li></ul>

It is very important to maintain a balanced diet for the proper growth and development of the baby. Going gluten free or not is an individual's choice. It is better to look into the pros and cons before taking the decision.

Gluten free diet for children or not

Children, just like adults, have a sweet tooth, and it is normal for them to want desserts and cookies instead of carrots. If you notice that your child’s diet consists mostly of processed foods, try and buy healthy snacks so that your child has fewer unhealthy options. But there is no need to fret over a dessert every now and then. All food is good food as long as it’s in moderation. Keep the following points in mind if your child is eating too much of sugary food: <ul><li>A habit is a habit, whether it is eating sugar or sucking a thumb or watching TV or even eating 2-3 candies daily. So the way a habit is formed, likewise it can be ridden off too.</li><li>Eating sugar is very harmful for a child because it will cause tooth decay, make him/her obese and leave the child malnourished.</li><li>Parents can use some easy tricks like first of all keeping the sugar jar where the child doesn’t find it easily.</li><li>Avoid bringing and storing candy in the house so the child doesn’t find them easily.</li><li>You can start using jaggery in the dishes to avoid sugar, wherever you can and that way it becomes a healthy option.</li><li>A child of this age can be easily distracted. For a few days if you distract him/her, automatically (s)he will forget asking for sugar.</li><li>For initial days it may become hard but you should stay firm and not give up.</li><li>Ask for help and seek support from family members so they don’t give your child sugar whenever (s)he asks.</li><li>You can always replace sugar with other natural sweet substances such as dates and raisins.</li><li>Eat healthy as a family. Never exhibit any behaviour which encourages the child to eat sugar. Keep your actions in check.</li></ul>

Sugar is a very tempting food item. Keep the sugar intake in check since the first day a child learns to eat; this way things will not out of hand.

Dealing with a child’s sugar eating habits

Once a child gets habituated with junk food, it gets difficult to divert children towards healthy food. Read the article to know what you can do about the same.

child only eats junk food