Fussy Eaters

 Nutritionist shares the common causes in children and how to discretely introduce vegetables

• The majority (62%) of UK parents admit they have a fussy child, with 62% finding feeding their child stressful
• Nutritionist reveals the main reasons children are picky eaters, ranging from sensitivity issues to a lack of exposure to new foods
• UK parents share ways they sneakily include veg in meals, from mixing them in with mashed potato to giving each vegetable characteristics

A balanced and nutritious diet is important to support growing children, but this can be a daily struggle for the majority (62%) of UK parents who admit their child is a fussy eater. Due to this, feeding time and introducing new foods can be extremely difficult and has caused 62% of parents to feel stressed when undertaking this task.

UK Google searches for ‘kids veg’ are also up 29% compared to last quarter, which shows that finding new creative ways to give their children a healthy meal is on many parents’ minds as we enter the height of winter.

To help struggling parents understand the root causes of fussy eating habits and what they can do to help, mother and baby retailer JoJo Maman Bebe has partnered with mother and nutritional therapy practitioner Sandrine Olmi to share her expertise on incorporating different foods into a child’s diet and why it’s so important to do so.

Putting these tips to the test, the brand asked UK parents to share sneaky ways they incorporate vegetables into their children’s diets, from mixing with mashed potato to giving character voices to each dish.

Sandrine explains the 4 most common causes of fussy habits in children:

1. Sensitivity: “Some children are naturally more sensitive to certain tastes, smells and textures, which is the case for many neurodivergent children.”
2. Exposure: “Some families may enjoy a limited variety of foods, which can  cause fussy eating habits as that is all the children are exposed to.”
3. Lack of interest: “Some children are simply not interested in foods yet and would rather eat the same food and move on to doing something else.”
4. Previous experiences: “Some children can become fussy eaters after a traumatic or bad experience around food.”

Creating a positive environment around food is the best way for a child to grow out of fussy eating habits:

“Most children do grow out of fussy eating while some with sensory issues around food may still prefer safe foods into adolescence. 

“It’s important to be aware of a child’s diet as this may lead to potential nutrient deficiencies. However, creating a positive experience around food is essential, when children are allowed to explore ingredients in a fun and caring environment, they are more likely to try them.”

Pressurising dinner time can cause stress and impact digestion:

“Food is there to be enjoyed, if we create a stressful situation around food, children will be less likely to eat as a stressed body cannot digest food as successfully, and they will likely remember the situation as a negative experience.”

 Sandrine’s 6 ways to cleverly incorporate veg into a child’s diet:

1. “Offer vegetables as snacks when the children are very hungry, after school for example.”
2. “Present the vegetables in different forms, such as cooked, raw, mashed or grated.”
3. “Include vegetables in baked goods, such as carrot cake, courgette muffins or black bean brownies.”
4. “Encourage children to take part in the food preparation of vegetables.”
5. “Add vegetables into smoothies.”
6. “Hiding vegetables in sauces, smoothies or pancakes can work,”

She adds: “I love making smoothies where I can add vegetables in them, for example, adding frozen cauliflower to a chocolate smoothie. I also like making beetroot and spinach pancakes – they are a great option because they are super sweet and delicious yet easy to eat.”  

Parents’ tried and trusted hacks for incorporating vegetables into their children’s diet:

500 UK parents were asked to share how they incorporate veg into their child’s diet. The most common responses were:

• “Mix vegetables in with mashed potatoes.”
• “Make them look visually fun and colourful, for example, make faces out of the vegetables.”
• “Blend various vegetables into pasta sauce in a food processor.”
• “Place one small new food item on their plate each day in a small quantity, such as a single chickpea to try. ”
• “Give the vegetable’s characteristics and noises during mealtimes.”
• “Grate each vegetable super small and hide in any dish.”

For those looking to make mealtimes easy and enjoyable, check out JoJo Maman Bébé’s wide range of baby high chairs, baby feeding and weaning products and kids’ lunch bags.