Stressful meal times? Whats the answer?

Are you finding you dread meal times? Are they a battle? Do they leave you feel deflated?

They don't need to be like this. 6 out of every 10 patients that come into my clinic are struggling with fussy eaters and end up giving in to whatever the child will eat. A lot of parents unwillingly admit to putting the TV/iPad on just to distract the child so they can feed them a few more spoonfuls, until they start storing food in the side of their mouth (this is the child saying STOP!).

Meal times should be an enjoyable experience, a time when the family can come together and share the events of their day.

My main tips for a happy meal time are:

- Keep meal times short and sweet '15-20mins max' children's attention spans are short

- Sit down and eat the same food as you are offering the rest of the family

- Offer 2 courses at each meal a savoury and a sweet which can be some fruit/yogurt (whether savoury is eaten or not)

- Ignore any 'bad' behaviour or food refusal

- Praise all positive behaviour and lots of praise and encouragement for trying/tasting/interaction with new foods

- NEVER use food as a reward e.g. if you eat this you can have sweets, choc etc as by doing this you are saying that the food given as a reward is better

- If you want to reward good behaviour use non-food based rewards

- Avoid lots of drinks and snacks prior to meal times to ensure they are hungry for the food

- You can try separating textures on the plate or using a plate with separate compartments, which often helps with acceptance and trying new foods

- Try and keep calm, don't show any anxiety and stress around meal times

Good luck!