Always keep calm as children can pick up on the emotions of their parents. Don’t force your child to eat, this can make their eating worse.
Stop asking them to try food. They will try when they feel confident and safe.
Encourage your child to sit with you to eat. Show them that you are calm and having a pleasant time. Even if they sit with you for a short period that is fantastic progress.
Limit meal times to 30 minutes.
Experiment by changing the environment, try making it quiet by turning off the TV or you could try with a small amount of background noise.
Establish a regular routine for meals and snacks. Try to give food at a similar time each day.
Look at how the rest of the family eat. Can they be messy? If so maybe move the child to the side of the messy eater? If other family members can be loud when they eat or eat with their mouth open this can put some children off. So try moving positions at the dining table.
Try not to repeat meals for 3 days as much as possible. Allowing the child to eat the same food day after day can mean they will go off the food and you can lose this from their diet. If they do lose it you can always try and reintroduce in a month or so. This can be a hard point to carry out as child might have limited diet, but start by alternating days.
Role modelling is very important, make positive faces and noises when eating together. Do not try eating something new in front of them, just in case you don’t like it, as your face will give it away.
Try to offer food in bowl rather than out of the packet. This can help if the food label changes and the child will only eat a certain type.
Cooking with your child allows them to see what foods go into the preparation. Involve them in shopping and food preparation as much as possible.
A lot of children are visual learners, try themed meals using ‘My world kitchen’ on CBeebies for ideas.
Use small plates rather than a large plate to not overwhelm them, your child can always ask for more.
Try not to wipe food away instantly or make a fuss if the child makes a mess. Sensory activities provide children with another meaningful avenue for learning. Because children learn best by having “hands on” experiences with materials, sensory experiences are vital to young children’s learning, and adds to their optimal development and physical health.
Remember the Rule of 3. It is important to offer foods your child already likes, as well as foods your child does not yet like. A good rule of thumb is to only offer three foods at a time. Include one to two foods your child already likes and one food your child does not yet like. If your child will not tolerate the new food on his or her plate, place the new food near him or her on a separate plate (‘leaner plate’) to help get your child used to the new food.
Present new foods in small bites and in fun or familiar ways to make it more likely that your child will eat it.