Parents who are struggling with the frustration of trying to feed a picky child, who refuses to eat healthy food or any food at all, shouldn't feel alone.
According to the results of a new Australian survey, most parents of children aged two-to-12 are going through the same thing.
The study, conducted by on behalf of , reveals that around 85 per cent of parents believe their children are fussy eaters.
It can be very challenging for some parents to have to coax their children into eating nutrient dense foods.
The research, an online survey, involved over 1,000 parents of children aged two-to-12 living throughout Australia. It showed that over 70 per cent of parents think their child would rather eat fast food than have a prepared meal and drink soft drinks over water. Around 30 per cent say their child would prefer to eat chips or crisps as a meal rather than a cooked dish.
“There are varying degrees of fussy eating,” consultant paediatrician in private practice, Dr Deb Levy tells SBS.
“The majority of toddlers will go through a phase of avoiding certain foods. One day, something will be their favourite and tomorrow they won’t eat it. It makes mealtimes quite tricky. It can be very challenging for some parents to have to coax their children into eating nutrient dense foods.”
The most unpopular food, according to the survey, was Brussels sprouts with 60 per cent of parents saying their child refuses the vegetable. Around 45 per cent of kids won’t eat spinach, 32 per cent don’t eat broccoli, 18 per cent say no to eggs and 12 per cent turn their nose up at meat.
On the flip side, 12 per cent of parents said their child/children eat mostly healthy foods.
What we are saying is that our children are over-fed but undernourished.
According to the , only 5.4 per cent of children aged two-to-18 years are eating the recommended five serves of vegetables a day. Almost for fruit, having two serves a day. But only one-in-20 children across the nation is meeting the requirements for both fruit and vegetables, having less than what is recommended by health professionals for good health for their age group.
Meanwhile, the also shows that one-in-four children aged 5-17 years are currently overweight or obese.
“What we are saying is that our children are over-fed but undernourished,” she says.
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Dr Levy explains that there is no widely accepted definition of what a fussy eater is.
“But overall, a fussy eater may take in a wide variety of food. They may avoid textures or their food preferences might wax and wane or they might be resistant of various textures.”
However, she says, the types of foods they eat will increase over time. “The difference between a fussy eater and a problem fussy eater is that the fussy eater will eat only what they want and then return to eating that food later but the problem fussy eater will drop it totally from their diet.”
Children with severe issues around fussy eating may develop Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a newly categorised eating disorder. Classified as a mental health condition, ARFID is serious and requires the holistic care of a medical team.
The Truth About Fussy Eaters, a documentary airing on SBS on Thursday 19 April at 8.35pm, investigates the dangerous condition to uncover the facts behind this under-recognised eating disorder.
Dr Levy recommends a few tips for parents who have accurately identified that their children’s fussy eating habits are mild. If your child’s food issues are serious, always consult a medical professional.
1. Get informed and be empowered
There’s plenty of information about nutritional guidelines and healthy eating tips for children online.
“Parents can empower themselves with knowledge. So increase your knowledge of what your child is eating by seeking out information.”
2. Lead by example
“Kids should see their parents make healthy food choices. So it’s about saying ‘I’m the mum [or the dad] and I need to sit down with my child and enjoy eating the same healthy foods'.”
3. Empower your children
Get your children involved in making healthy food choices by taking them grocery shopping and letting them choose the fruit and vegetables.
Children may also be able to help with cooking or food preparation, if supervised to do so.
4. Add extra nutrients to their meals
Switch to healthier food choices and, if you need to, sneak vegetables into pastas and smoothies.
“That said I am not a huge advocate of only sneaking nutrient dense foods into your child’s meals. Because you don’t want them to be age 16 and you still have to blend their foods so that they don’t see the vegetables in their meals.”
5. Stress-free dining
“Work towards shifting the focus away from ‘why aren’t you eating this’ to ‘let’s sit down as a family and eat a healthy meal together’.
“You can also remove the stress from the situation by making mealtimes enjoyable and fun.
6. Cut back on sugar-laden and processed foods
Dr Levy explains that, often, fussy eaters are willing to give up vegetables but seek out foods that are high in salt and sugar.
A 2016 study from the University of Adelaide, published in the examined the core food intake of 430 children aged nine-to-10 living in South Australia. The research found that 45 per cent of their daily energy intake was from discretionary foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
“Read the nutritional panel on the back of products and equate the sugar content to see if it is a reasonable amount of sugar for your child to be eating.”
7. Don’t give up
“You really have to maintain a broad picture of your child’s eating habits and not just focus on one day.
“If your child is consistently avoiding nutrient-dense food – they are only eating white foods like pasta and milk and not eating any green or red vegetables at all – you might want to consider nutritional supplementation to help get them through this period of time.”
Dr Levy advises parents to always consult a health professional for tailored medical advice.
The Truth About Fussy Eaters airs on SBS One on Thursday 19 April at 8.35pm and will be available to view on after broadcast.
