Fussy eating

Many children will go through a fussy eating stage where they may refuse to eat or go off foods they have previously liked or refuse to try new ones. This is a normal part of a child's development but often children will grow out of this stage and learn to accept a wider variety of foods. 

Have regular meal times , breakfast , lunch and dinner and limit snacks ( ideally no more than 2 a day) and milk between meals and avoid near mealtimes as this will fill your child up and they may not be hungry and willing to try new foods at mealtimes. 

Avoid having the TV on and electronic devices at the table and limit the time at the table to 20-30 minutes.

Make mealtimes enjoyable and social and eat together as a family where possible - as parents role model good eating habits and that you are willing to try new foods  Ignore the fussiness - if your child rejects the food don’t force it, remove and try again at a later date. 

We all have foods we don’t like — don’t make an issue if they don’t like a particular food — children's tastes buds change as they grow so continue to offer different foods at various times.

More resources

Further information can be found at 

• https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/ 
• https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/A0213-Selective-eating-inchildren.pdf
• https://healthysteps.betterhealth-healthierfamilies.co.uk/signup
• https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/autism-diet.htm
• https://patientwebinars.co.uk/condition/fussy-eating-in-children/

NHS Food Scanner app. An app to help parents and pupils explore what is in their food and drink and swap unhealthy foods that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, to healthier choices. The new Scan, Swipe, Swap activities toolkit uses the excitement of the app to encourage young people to explore what's in their food and make healthier choices. The app is free to download. https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/food-facts/nhs-food-scanner-app/