Posted on: Sunday, May 27, 2001

Prescriptions
Work around a child's eating quirks

By Amy Tousman
Special to The Advertiser

Parents often are puzzled by their toddler's unpredictable mealtime behavior. My own experiences with my daughter, Briana, were no exception. She loved bananas as a 1-year-old, but suddenly around age 2, she decided she detested bananas. She also wanted peanut butter sandwiches every day for lunch.

Many toddlers like a particular food one day and hate it the next. Wanting the same foods over and over is also common. Some toddlers refuse to eat anything green (i.e., vegetables).

Even with their unusual eating habits, most toddlers get the nutrients they need. Your pediatrician will record your child's growth patterns on a chart during well-baby checks. If your child is growing normally, chances are she's getting enough of what her body needs.

Most nutrients are found in more than one type of food. So if a toddler hates vegetables, serve extra fruits. Fruits and vegetables have similar nutrients. If your child won't eat meat, peanut butter or cheese will give her protein. A child who refuses milk can still get calcium through fortified orange juice or Kix cereal.

Toddlers often are afraid of anything new. Suspicion of new foods becomes apparent around age 2 or 3. But if a child is repeatedly exposed to a food, she will eventually taste the food and may even like it! You can help by preparing a variety of foods, enjoying your own food and leaving her to work out her food issues in her own way.

In her book "How to Get Your Kid to Eat, But Not Too Much," Ellyn Satter advocates a concept called "Division of Responsibility." She states: "Parents are responsible for purchasing and preparing healthy food. They are also responsible for setting the meal and snack schedule for toddlers. Children are responsible for how much of it they eat (even if it's none)."

I use this concept at home. My husband or I prepare and serve our meals. If our daughter is not hungry or dislikes the meal, she is not forced to eat. However, no other food is given until the next scheduled snack or meal. If she eats a small dinner, she makes up for it the next day by eating a larger breakfast.

Here are more tips and thoughts about feeding youngsters:

• A toddler who eats little for a few days generally makes up for it a few days later.

• Bribing, begging, tricking or punishing often makes eating problems worse. A toddler will react to any pressure on her eating as a threat to her autonomy. She would rather go hungry than be submissive.

• Don't serve adult-sized portions. Appetite and growth rates decrease during the toddler years. Serve one tablespoon of each item for each year of age. This means a 2-year-old should start off with two tablespoons of each item on his plate. Seconds can be given if needed.

• Mealtimes and snack times should be scheduled at this age. Toddlers cannot last from one meal to the next without a snack. Their stomachs are small and their energy needs are high. Three hours between meals and snacks is appropriate.

• Serve healthy snacks most days.

• If a child eats little or nothing during a meal and wants a cookie a few minutes later, don't give in. State that "Lunch is over; you must wait until snack-time." Stick to this even if the child makes a fuss.

• If a toddler refuses to eat, say, "That's all right, you don't have to. Just sit here and keep us company while we eat."

• Don't get in the habit of being a short-order cook. It turns the job of planning the menu over to the child and fails to set appropriate limits.

• Excess milk and juice can make your child too full to eat. Between 16 and 32 ounces of milk daily is enough for a toddler. Juice should be less than 24 ounces daily. The remaining liquid should be water.

• Toddlers' muscles and coordination are still immature. Trouble using utensils is common. Let them eat with their fingers if they want.

• Offer at least one food the child likes at each meal.

• Stay calm. Set a good example by eating nutritious foods yourself. Eventually your toddler will catch on.

Amy Tousman is a registered dietitian at Straub Clinic & Hospital Inc. and a member of the Hawai'i Dietetic Association.

Hawai'i experts in traditional medicine, naturopathic medicine, diet and exercise take turns writing the Prescriptions column. Send your questions to: Prescriptions, 'Ohana Section, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; e-mail ohana@honoluluadvertiser.com; fax 535-8170. This column is not intended to provide medical advice; you should consult your doctor.