Sometimes, your little, chubby, cute, innocent-looking baby can be annoying when it comes to feeding time. The frustration is amplified once they opt to snack on candy and refuse to eat the nutritious food. The candy part always seems to be inborn eating habits and child development phase common to all children globally.

However, feeding is a practical lesson that children can learn gradually. Parents need to designate time and incorporate fun activities to help impact eating habits. The process doesn't happen as easily as it sounds, but it's worth dedicating some effort.  

Parents can learn a few food patterns before venturing into eating habits training. Each child has a favorite meal, which should be considered. It's a starting point that encourages kids to try out more dishes. Parents or guardians should know what foods to offer, when to serve them, and where for better results. It would be best to have a few tricks to ensure your child eats healthy for better growth. Giving better nutrition is essential for growth and bringing out energetic kids.

Reasons for poor eating habits.

Simple activities can easily lead to poor feeding, which is a malnutrition trigger. Here are some of the reasons why kids refuse to eat.

• Self-feeding.

Self-feeding is a result of mimicking or curiosity. It's wise to encourage your child to learn but with supervision.  Your child will likely waste more food or take longer leaving food when cold. This means the child only gets small nutrient contents, not enough to boost growth.

• Losing Interest.

Lack of appetite is not a child-only issue but also an adult phenomenon.   Besides health facts, food taste can lead to a lack of interest. It's advisable to cook tasty foods to encourage your child to eat. To kill boredom, parents need to invent new food combinations and avoid repeating meals.

• Color or texture.

The sense of touch, smell and sight play a huge role in children's lives. It's easy to attract kids to anything through colourful items. This trick applies to food as it builds their curiosity. Parents/guardians can present the food with beautiful plates with nice arrangements. Refrain from mixing the solids and wet foods to avoid a messy and gooey outcome. 

• Sick.

A cold or any other illness can take a toll on your appetite. The situation is more amplified in kids, making them fussy. During this period, try their favorite meals in small portions or based on interest.

What can I do to help my child improve in eating?

Parenting is natural but can be perfected with experience. Parents can learn a few techniques to improve their eating habits as follows.

• Start them at an early age.

A child's eating habitsshould start early by offering food varieties. However, do not force kids to eat every food, but offer a few bites.

• Schedule meals and snacks.

A scheduled snacking and meal time allows children to adapt to eating habits. Create a good but strict plan on when to feed your child. Ensure the feeding hours of both snacks and meals are not consecutive.

• Be patient.

It’s advisable for a parent not to force a child to eat but to offer food as many times as possible within a day. Serve the right amount and small portions, which helps them to ask for more.

• Offer a variety of food.

A parent should give a child different types of food and flavors, especially in the first years. This makes the kids aware of varieties and ensures they serve new foods alongside favorites.

• Participate in preparation.

Start teaching your child food skills from an early age, and let your child choose the ingredients. Allow them to prepare meals or set the dining table. This makes them feel motivated to taste the meal they participated in preparation.

• Be a good example.

As a parent, one should not complain about different types of food. One should eat various healthy foods to motivate them and take a balanced diet. The child will learn about food and eating by watching.

• Pressure.

It's good if a parent avoids worldly pressure while feeding a child, like shouting, beating, or being harsh.  Fear can prevent your child from developing a healthy relationship with food. It is fun for a parent to sing to encourage the child to eat more and ease the tension.

• Decrease distraction at mealtime.

While feeding a child, it is good to turn off TVs, cellphones, and radios to make them concentrate on the food and enjoy it together. It allows the child to know when the stomach is full and not overfeed.

Foods to offer a child to improve child eating.

Children should be given nutritious food with different flavors and textures from an early age to help them improve their healthy habits for life.

They include;

• Vegetables.
• Fruits.
• Protein foods.

Food rich in protein helps build a child's body, hence increasing body growth. Protein foods are;

• Fish.
• Beans.
• Eggs
• Meat.
• Milk.
• Whole grain foods.

A child should be offered food rich in whole grains, which assists with food digestion. Food such as;

• Oats
• Bread
• Barley
• Whole grain pasta.

What should I offer my child to drink?

Parents should offer different sugar-free drinks multiple times to assist digestion and child growth.

The drinks include;

• Water.
• Milk is either breast milk or cow's milk.
• Fruit juice.

What if my child refuses to eat food?

A parent or guardian should not make a different meal when a child refuses to take the prepared meal, as this will not teach them to be a healthy eater. Plan your meals, including the child's favorite meal; if the kid refuses to eat, visit your nutritionist for assistance.