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.

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