How to feed a stubborn child

Baby's natural appetite

The child grows in the early stages of his life at a rapid rate, until he reaches the age of two years, when the growth rate begins to slow down naturally, and this is accompanied by a decrease in the child’s appetite to match the decrease in growth, and some children may tend to be irregular in their appetite or diversify at times Their meals from one day to the next, and a decrease in appetite is normal, as it results from normal physiological changes in the child’s body, but this may cause concern to some parents, but when providing healthy and nutritious food to them despite their low appetite, this will help to meet their needs for food. energy needed for them.

How to feed a stubborn child

There are many methods that parents can follow to feed a stubborn child, including the following:

Make healthy and colorful items of food

The food that is sold in the market is usually made in colors and shapes that attract children, as they realize that children are always attracted to the colors of food more than its taste, so parents can take advantage of this feature also inside the homes, so that they prepare healthy food for children in a colorful and attractive way, for example Preparing healthy omelettes in different and varied forms, or adding colorful vegetables to pasta, and it is possible that the dishes used themselves attract children, such as being in the form of animals, which arouses children’s interest and encourages them to eat.

dispersion removal

It is important to remove any distracting factor when feeding the child, such as removing toys, the phone, turning off the TV, or taking the child to another room, as it is difficult to feed the child in the presence of these distractions, and when removed, the child’s attention to food, conversation, and family bonding increases, and this It makes him eat the whole food, and care must be taken that the eating area is comfortable, and that everyone has a suitable space to enjoy his meal.

Feeding while playing

Play can be used to attract a child to eat, especially a child with little appetite, who insists on not eating, by feeding him while telling him a story, for example, or playing a game with him that depends on eating, and this encourages them to eat an adequate amount of food. To win the game, for example, and this is an easy way to feed the child if it is used well.

Make your favorite things at home

There are different types of foods that children love, such as burgers, pasta, pizza, rolls, samosas, etc., and these types can be prepared at home in a healthy way, such as adding as many vegetables as possible, or using semolina instead of flour, and avoiding buying them from the market.

Tips for feeding a stubborn child

It is important to take care of children’s nutrition in a healthy way, and here are a number of tips that help increase the ability to follow a balanced diet for children, and avoid conflict with them over eating, or their selection of certain types of food over others:

Considering the child's limited appetite

In the event that the child is not hungry at the time of eating, it is better not to force him to eat it, or to provide him with a snack. Also, the child should not be forced to eat a certain type of food, or to force him to complete his dish. Because this will enhance the conflict over eating between him and his parents, and the child will feel tension, anxiety, and frustration with the approach of eating each meal, and with time the child becomes less sensitive to his feeling of hunger or his feeling of satiety, and in order to avoid exhausting the child with little appetite towards eating Food Small portions of food can be offered to him at different times.

Be patient when eating new foods

When preparing new food for the first time for a child, the child may need some time to get used to it, and he may touch or smell it before eating it, and he may put a piece of this food in his mouth, then take it out directly, as he needs to see the new food several times before he eats it. He gets used to eating it, and it may take between 10-15 attempts for the child to accept and enjoy the new foods, and here the parents have to introduce the new foods in addition to the foods he prefers, and draw his attention to the colors, shape, texture, and smell of the new food, and continue attempts to provide healthy food for the child Until he gets used to it and becomes familiar to him, and if the child refuses food, it must be offered to him again within a short period of time, within a week, for example, as the children's appetite is volatile, and he may want to eat it again.

Stick to the routine

It is important to stick to the same schedule for eating meals and snacks every day. Because setting a regular time for eating will allow other opportunities to eat if the child refuses to eat one of the meals, and care should be taken to provide fresh juice - which does not contain preservatives or coloring - or milk with food, and water should be provided between the main and light meals that he eats The child, taking into account that if the child is allowed to eat large amounts of juice, milk, or snacks during the day, this will reduce his appetite for the main meals. The child should also be encouraged to eat the food that has been prepared, not to prepare an additional meal for him because he refuses to eat the prepared food, and to encourage him to stay at the dining table even if he refuses to eat.

Ask the child for help

It is good to ask the child for help when buying food, for example, he can be asked to choose the types of vegetables and fruits that he prefers from the grocery store, and he can also be used to help clean them after purchasing them, arrange the dining table, or mix ingredients together when preparing a salad, for example.^[XNUMX] The child can also take his parents as an example when choosing the type of food he will eat, so parents should take this into account, and choose a variety of healthy foods.

Not giving sweets as a reward to the child

It is important to stay away from things that increase the child's desire to eat sweets, and the child can be allowed to eat sweets during only one or two days a week to be determined with the child, and parents may be able to redefine the term sweets to include, for example, fruits, or curd, or other foods Useful and healthy for children.

Allowing the child to skip a meal

It is important to take into account when preparing a nutritional program for children that many young children need to eat several meals that may reach 6 meals per day, and include 3 main meals, and 2-3 snacks, and it is important to determine the times of eating those meals, but it may The child refuses to eat a meal, although many parents may not accept the idea of ​​a child skipping a meal, the child should not be forced to eat a meal he does not want, and parents must understand that refusing the child is an act that expresses his independence, and a way to prove himself, and the child has the right to say no when he does not want to eat.