Stressful meal times? What's the answer?

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

They don't need to be like this. Six out of every 10 patients that come into my clinic are struggling with picky 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.

So to start with my main tips for a happy meal time are:

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

• Sit down and eat the same food 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 (regardless of whether the savoury meal 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 a non-food based reward.

• Avoid lots of drinks and snacks prior to meal timesto ensure they are hungry for the food being offered.

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

• Try and keep calm, do not show any anxiety or stress around meal times.

Good luck!