Food and Nutrition Guidelines - Barnsley Council Online

6. Developing positive
eating habits
Food Refusal and
Faddy Eaters
Food refusal and faddy eating is remarkably
common in the under 5’s.
Reasons for faddy eating
include:
• Children who have not been offered
a wide variety of tastes and textures.
• Children over one become wary of
trying new foods and may reject a
food on sight without tasting it.
• Consumption of frequent drinks of
milk or juices - many young children
prefer drinking to eating and readily
fill themselves up with drinks.
• Some children are offered lots of
snacks between meals which are
often high in fat and sugar with
the result that there is little or no
incentive for the child to eat an
appropriate meal.
To minimise food refusal it is important to
ensure a variety of foods are offered. Toddlers
may be wary of trying new foods (neophobia)
and this may also include rejection of foods
that they normally eat if foods are served in
different shapes or containers.
Suggestions for tackling food
refusal and faddy eating:
• A consistent approach is essential
amongst all those involved in the care
of your child.
• Use rewards other than foods e.g.
stickers.
• Don’t refer to foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
• Give lots of praise, even if the smallest
quantity of food is eaten.
• To start with, give foods known to be
well accepted.
• Avoid food and drink near mealtimes.
• Involve children in preparing and
cooking foods where appropriate.
• The child should feed themselves if
appropriate.
• Do not coax or force a child to eat.
• Take away uneaten food without
comment at the end of a meal.
• Give finger foods as often as possible
at meals.
• Parents/carers should ideally sit down
and eat with the children thereby
providing a good role model.
• Keep calm!
• Finish the meal time within 30
minutes.
• Watch for an ‘off’ day becoming an
‘off’ week. Children’s appetites are not
constant. If you are concerned what a
child eats during the week discuss it
with your health visitor.
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