Feeding tips every mother should know

Is your toddler going through mealtime challenges? Find out how mums can manage better with these feeding tips, to make meals tear-free!

Feeding tips every mother should know

Feeding time may not exactly be the easiest time for parents.

Now that your toddler is able to communicate his likes or dislikes, whether verbally or through action, it may be a new challenge for the adults too.

To help parents better manage feeding struggles with their toddlers, we spoke to Dr Glenn Berall, the Chief of Paediatrics and Medical Programme Director, North York General Hospital, Toronto, to get a better understanding on useful tips every mother should be armed with to make feeding a tearless effort for both tots and mums.

Introduce variety as early as you can

Dr Berall suggests that parents should introduce a variety of foods into your child’s diet during the early stage of introducing solids and weaning, as this will increase the chance of them maintaining a balanced diet in adulthood.

As soon as babies start having purees and solid foods, try to include as many different flavours and textures into their diet as you can. The introduction of variety allows the toddler to be exposed to a range of ingredients which helps make food seem more exciting as well.

If the tot eats the same dish for all meals throughout the day and on a daily basis (e.g. khichdi), soon enough, the child will get bored and start exhibiting food rejection or throws tantrums during mealtimes. Hence, it is encouraged that caregivers or parents offer different dishes whether in terms of nutritional value, cooking style or food appearance, to keep mealtime interesting for the child.

Lead by example

Ultimately, children are the best imitators of their parents, or the adults whom they spend most of their time with. If children see their parents eating balanced meals and having their meals at the dinner table, they will follow suit. Both parents should actively set a good example for their children by eating right and observing good eating habits.

According to Dr Berall, studies have shown that fathers have a greater influence over what kind of food their children accept, while mothers have a greater influence over what kind of food is provided.

Research also indicates that dietary habits acquired in childhood persist through to adulthood, hence, setting the right habits from young plays an important role in your toddler’s later years, too.

Choose the correct feeding style

Of the four feeding styles listed below, which one do you belong to?

Controlling: A controlling feeding style is one in which parents are forcing, pushing or bribing their child to eat.

Responsive: A responsive feeding style is one that works with a child’s developmental abilities but also sets limits for the child to adhere to.

Neglectful: A neglectful feeding style could be due to many factors, including the busy lifestyle of parents, failure to address feeding difficulties or even abuse. Whatever the cause, this eating style is defined by parents not giving enough attention and time to a child’s eating habits.

Indulgent: An indulgent feeding style is one in which parents allow their child to eat whatever they want, whenever they want, without limits or questions.

Ideally, parents should strive to practice a responsive feeding style that encourages a child to harness his developmental capabilities, while still putting boundaries in place to discourage poor eating habits.

Moderation is key

You may have a child who is slow to accept new foods or develop good eating habits. Don’t fret, keep calm and relax. Forcing a child to eat when he isn’t hungry or to sit at the table when he’s throwing a tantrum may be more detrimental than helpful.

During such situations, let the child take the lead on what he would like to eat. In a 2011 study published in Mednet by registered dietitian Marie-Hélène Bourdages, the idea of feeding is to tempt and not push a child. Parents should consume new foods without offering it to the child.

Studies have shown that there is a significant impact of parental influence on a child's food selection. This is both a consequence of parental monitoring which has substantially lowered the number of non-nutritious foods chosen and estimated caloric content of the meal.

One food at a time

When your little baby just started on his solids journey at around six months old, you might have followed the three-day rule when it came to new food introduction. This is useful in helping to ruling out the chances of food allergies in your baby.

Now as a toddler, if he has food allergies or is less adventurous when it comes to food, it might be good to introduce one new food at a time so that it’s less overwhelming for him. Also, make sure that there is at least one food item that you know he will like at mealtimes.

Parents should avoid getting mad when their child wants to touch, prod or even take a sniff before eating his food. The child is merely practicing his investigative and inquisitive nature, which is completely normal.

Transition slowly and be patient

If you want your child to start eating more of a certain food, introduce them to him slowly and not all at one go, especially if he has not always been acceptive of new food since his solids journey started. Each child has their own developmental phase, and parents need to understand and accept that.

“Moving into any phase of transitioning in a child’s life requires both patience and moderation,” says Dr Berall.

And for parents, stay calm and avoid raising voices or scolding the child for not trying the new food. This may create a negative association with food, and that may backfire your objectives. If your child does not want to try the new food today, try it again the next day or a different day. Sometimes, concealing the food with other ingredients may help, so parents need to also understand their child’s likes and dislikes.

Work with the child’s developmental abilities

Instead of forcing a child to eat when he doesn’t want to, work with his developmental abilities so that he can harness his own capabilities. By the time he is a toddler, he should be able to self-feed well with a spoon and without too much mess.

However, if he is unable to steer a spoon towards his mouth, parents may need to keep practising with the toddler. This can also be done with snacks or finger foods to practice the movement and allow your tot to explore self-feeding or Baby Led Weaning (BLW).. At mealtimes, let him hold the spoon while you move it towards his mouth to eat. Practice makes perfect!

“The more we let the child be involved with their developmental curiosity, the more the child will lead themselves in a positive direction,” said Dr Berall.

Embrace happy moments

While feeding toddlers may sometimes be challenging, especially at this stage when they are also learning about boundaries and testing limits, parents need to stay calm and rational.

Parenting is an ever-learning journey and while there are tricky times like these, do embrace the happy moments when your child enjoys his meals and you know that every food that has been lovingly prepared for him goes into nurturing your growing toddler.