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The ‘not enough’ and picky eater

By on June 28, 2010

Parents often find it difficult to know if their child is eating enough food.

One way to know is if they have lots of energy and are growing normally, then they are healthy. 

Your doctor can assess their growth by measuring the height and weight and referring to growth charts.

At meal times, offer one tablespoon of each kind of food for each year of your child’s age.  And then serve more if they are still hungry. Sometimes children eat less in a particular meal but this is not a worry as they will often catch up during their next meal.  What is most important is the quality of the food, and not the quantity. Once he or she is no longer hungry, your child should be allowed to stop eating.  So serve nutritious food without over-emphasizing the portion sizes.

Your child will need about three meals and two snacks a day, as they often get hungry in between the meals.  But skip the snack if this is within one hour of the next meal.  Drinking too much liquid can also lessen a child’s appetite so limit this to three to four cups daily. Fifteen minutes before a mealtime, tell your child it will be time to eat soon. This gives them a chance to settle down because when they are too tired or excited from playing, they may not feel hungry at all. 

If your child doesn’t eat enough at one mealtime, you can offer a nutritious snack a few hours later.  If this snack is refused then offer food again at the next mealtime.  The child usually eats at the second meal, and using this method you can be sure the child will not go hungry or have problems with a poor diet.

Another challenge with toddlers is that they can be picky eaters. Sometimes they want to eat the same food over and over again, and sometimes they hate a particular food. Offer your child a variety of nutritious foods and let them choose what to eat, without forcing them. Sometimes you may need to offer a new food several times before they will try it. Don’t bribe your child with rewards or punishments, and don’t show you are upset if they refuse.  If your child is seeking attention, your disapproval fills that need, and he or she may try to gain your attention in the same way another time.  You can also make meals fun by serving them in original ways.

Vegetables can be cut into fun shapes, or bread can be turned into Hello Kitty or Doraemon character shapes with special sandwich cutters.

 

About Dr. Kwok Wan

Dr. Kwok Wan joined the Tokyo British Clinic as a full time general practitioner in 2009. He has post-graduate qualifications in pediatrics, obstetrics, and dermatology.