If your child is a fussy eater, you're not alone. Fussy eating is a normal phenomenon faced by almost every parent. Your child suddenly decides that she/he will only eat a few different foods. 

Fussy eating is a part of children’s development. It’s a way of exploring their environment and asserting their independence. Fussy eating also happens because your child’s appetite goes up and down depending on how much he/she is growing and how active he/she is. Fussy eating is most common in the toddler age group (1 to 3 years) and can go beyond this age group, if not tackled properly.

If your child is a fussy eater – understand that he/she may not like the taste, shape, colour, or texture of particular foods. It's also normal for your child to like something one day but dislike it the next, to refuse new foods, and to eat more or less from day to day. If you are worried about your child’s fussy eating habit, your paediatrician is most likely to tell you not to worry about what your child eats in a day but think about what they eat over a week.

4 Strategies for Try if Your Child is a Fussy Eater

1. Try different veggies. Kids are not judgemental about new foods. Just because your child doesn’t like the typical peas and carrots, that does not mean that they won’t enjoy other, less common veggies. By offering them new veggies they’ve probably never even heard of, they won’t even know they are veggies, and may really like it. You can try greens like spinach and broccoli which are a growing favourite among kids these days.

2. Dip solves everything. Kids love dipping their food in stuff like chutney (a type of dip made in Indian households from fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs), sauces, a healthy dressing, or anything like that. They love the fun of dipping. Let them pair new foods with dips. 

Check out some healthy dips for your fussy eaters online or in cookbooks or with your paediatrician/paediatric dietician.

3. Keep portions small. Kids are small, so their plates look bigger in their eyes than yours. A big helping of veggies is frightening to a little kid. A smaller, less intimidating portion is easier for them to consider eating. Give small portions and praise your child for eating, even if he/she only eats a little. 

You can buy separate cutlery (plates, spoons, bowls, and cups) for your child that are perfect for small portion sizes. Buying colorful and printed cutlery can get them even more excited and help them finish their meals.

4. Give iron rich-foods. Some children may have an iron deficiency which may affect their appetite. Hence, it is important to give iron-rich food from the time weaning (introduction of solid foods in your child’s diet after 6 months of age) is started on the advice of your pediatrician. 

Pulses, green leafy vegetables, different types of spinach, dry fruits, finely chopped/powdered nuts can be introduced. Your child might be allergic to certain nuts. Check with your paediatrician before introducing nuts to your child’s diet. 

Now that you have looked at some strategies to help your fussy child eat better, here are some foods you can include and you should avoid:

Nutrient-dense Foods That Most Children are Willing to Eat

1. Avocados. Avocados are rich in healthy fats, which are essential for growing kids. Fibre is another nutrient that kids obtain when they eat avocados. Fibre helps to keep the digestive system moving, which is a benefit for kids who are prone to constipation (a condition in which your child passes less than 3 bowel movements a week).

2. Broccoli. Broccoli is full of nutrients that are essential for your baby’s growth. Being a good source of vitamin C, it helps in strengthening the immune system. Broccoli is also a good source of antioxidants that are an essential ingredient in any kind of diet, equally for adults as well as kids.

3. Eggs. Eggs are a complete protein food. They contain omega-3 healthy fats which help in early brain development and improve memory. Remember to not introduce eggs to your baby’s diet until he/she is 8 months old. Check with your paediatrician before you start feeding eggs to your child and what is the best way to serve them.

4. Sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a naturally sweet treat that delivers a lot of nutrition. Being rich in antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamin C, B complex vitamins, iron, and phosphorus, sweet potatoes prove to be excellent immunity boosters. They are also rich in fibre thus are good for your child’s digestion.

5. Greek yogurt. It is one of the best foods to satisfy your child’s sweet tooth. It is rich in proteins and consists of living organisms called probiotics that balance your gastrointestinal flora (microbes including bacteria and fungi that live in your child’s gut or digestive tract).

Foods That You Should Avoid Giving Your Fussy Eater

1. Instant noodles. Maggi/instant noodles hardly take any time to cook and taste good but all you are adding to your child’s body is refined flour. The wax present in them forms a layer in your child’s intestine which takes at least three days to flush out from the system. 

You can swap this with a vegetable upma (called 'cream of wheat' or 'semolina', which is cooked as a thick porridge from dry-roasted semolina or coarse rice flour with chopped vegetables) or poha (also known as ‘flattened rice’ is a light Indian dish which is steam cooked with onions, spices and herbs). It will provide your child with healthy carbs and the veggies will add fiber, making it a complete meal.

2. Cornflakes with milk. You may think this is a safe breakfast option as it contains milk but the truth is that the flakes your child eats will only add more sugar to his/her diet and not much nutrition. It will only add more weight to your child’s body. Instead of this, you can switch to daliya (also called porridge, it is made from cracked wheat), or muesli with milk and a handful of nuts sprinkled on the top. This will provide your child with fiber, essential fatty acids, and other nutrients.

3. Fruit juice/packaged juice. You may think that gulping down a glass of a preserved fruit juice is a great way for your child to start his/her day but these juices are mostly packed with sugar. Switch to a better idea: give your child fresh orange juice made at home. You can also give your child whole fruits as they are filled with vitamins, minerals, along with tummy-filling fiber that can help tame hunger pangs until lunch.

4. Pasta/white pasta. Pasta/white bread is an empty calorie food as it is made from refined and processed flour. This means that it is deficient in nutrients. Instead of white pasta/white bread, you can opt for whole wheat pasta, whole wheat rolls (stuffed with veggies or paneer), and multi-grain bread.

5. Soft Drinks/diet soda. Diet sodas contain only artificial sweeteners and nonessential nutrients in them, which increases the risk of certain types of cancer. Instead of opting for these aerated beverages (soft drinks that are filled with carbonated water and artificial flavoring), with such drinks, you can switch to lemon water or coconut water.

6. Fat-free foods. Just because a product is labeled ‘fat-free’ or ‘low-fat’, doesn't mean it’s healthier or even lower in calories. Fat-free products lack fat, but they make up by adding sugars or other unhealthy ingredients. Some of the most popular healthy fat foods that you can opt for your child are baked potato chips, diet namkeen (a savoury snack or dish made of soya sticks, salted peanuts, dry fruits, etc.), frozen yogurt, nutralite butter, etc.

Remember not to give up on your child if he/she is a fussy eater. If you know other children of the same age who are good eaters, you might want to call them over for a few meals to instill good eating habits in your child as well. Talk to your paediatrician and know more about how you can fulfill all the nutritional needs of your child and discuss anything that might be worrying you.


Disclaimer: This article is written by the Practitioner for informational and educational purposes only. The content presented on this page should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. Please "DO NOT SELF-MEDICATE" and seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns. Practo will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.