The child refuses to eat complementary foods and try new foods - expert advice

- OK, try! I do not force you much, just try it! - Dad persistently tried to teach five-year-old Sasha to a salad of fresh vegetables. In response, she shook her head fiercely. Tomatoes and cucumbers, she recognized only in its original form. "Caesar" she rasprobovala only for years to thirteen. And then, in her opinion, the extra "grass" she ruthlessly threw out of the plate. Baked fish, stewed vegetables, broccoli muffins - for us, adults, all this variety of tastes has long been habitual. But for kids, the kitchen is a journey into a brave new world. Different tastes the child begins to learn, only starting from six months. And this process takes place in them in different ways: some children easily get used to the first "adult" food, others have a real test for the parents. Refuses to feed, does not want to try something new, eats like a bird - how to avoid such problems and to awaken in the child a gastronomic interest? To answer these questions and to understand how to feed a small one, Tatiana Evdokimova, an assistant professor of the Department of Dietology and Nutriciology of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuing Vocational Education of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and an expert of HiPP, helped us.Photo: Getty Images

Why does the baby refuse to eat?

First of all, don’t immediately sound the alarm if your child doesn’t eat everything you offer him. If your pediatrician is absolutely sure that your baby is healthy, calm down and breathe a sigh of relief.The organism of a healthy kid controlsthe need for food and signals when it is necessary to "replenish" the energy and nutrients. The individual characteristics of the child in nutrition may not meet your ideas about how much he should eat, but if the crumb grows harmoniously and gaining weight, shows cheerfulness and activity, does not seem sluggish and tired - it means that the baby's appetite corresponds to his needs. The reasons for which children do not want to eat, set. First, the child, maybe, is not yet ready to get acquainted with the products - his body does not require additional food. A sure sign is that the child does not show any interest in what the mother has in her plate.In this case, it's better not to rush into the news inmenu and wait until the child really needs a lure. The fact that it's time to expand the diet, says different signs: the reflex of "pushing the spoon with the tongue", the noticeable growth and weight gain, the ability to sit and hold your head and, of course, the desire to try products from the plate of mom and dad disappear. Secondly, the child can be capricious because of the wrong order of introduction of products. For example, many children refuse a healthy vegetable puree, ideally suited as one of the first dishes, if before they were given more sweet food: porridge or fruit food.Photo: Getty ImagesIn this case, vegetables already seem to kids freshand not tasty. That is why today most pediatricians recommend starting a lure with broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini puree: if given to their child in the first place, an unfamiliar taste will be interesting and sated for a beginner gourmet. Refusal of food can be caused by the properties of the dish itself. Too cold or hot, salty or sweet dish - everything matters. Salt and sugar, by the way, is generally not advised to add, until the crumb turns 18 years old.

And maybe it's not necessary?

So, here we are, getting to our little ones.conservatives and picky eaters. What should you do if your child is used to strictly defined products and refuses to try anything else? Maybe you shouldn't force some kind of variety on him? He'll grow up and decide for himself.Of course, you can just continue to feed the childrendishes, which they love, but the monotony in the diet may not be very good for the further eating habits of the child and turn it into a "mallow" for a long time. The crumbs are deprived of the opportunity to try and compare different tastes. As a result, acquaintance with food from a fascinating process turns into boredom. And this is fraught with a lack of interest in food in the future. In addition to psychological reasons, there are also medical indications. It is important to remember that a varied diet provides the body with all the necessary nutrients, on which the growth and development of the baby depend. Nevertheless, at the age of up to one year, the menu expansion should be approached reasonably and cautiously: it is recommended to introduce products gradually to closely monitor the child's reaction to them, as well as give the susceptible child organism the ability to adapt to unfamiliar food.Photo: GettyImages

Hello, food!

When introducing your baby to different foods, the main thing isDon't rush. You need to wait until the child is really ready for solid foods, and introduce foods gradually. If we are talking about a picky eater, it is important to be patient and as calm as possible about the process of introducing the baby to food.Don't think that the baby doesn't like them at allproducts you are trying to accustom him to. It’s just that the baby doesn’t yet understand their taste and therefore is wary of them. The child needs to get used to the dish, so any new product should be offered 10-15 times so that the consistency, smell and taste do not seem unfamiliar and strange to the baby. If the baby refuses a certain product again and again, this does not mean that he will never like it. Remember that children’s food preferences can change quickly as they grow up. Sometimes it takes more than one month for a child to appreciate the taste of a particular product. Important! - Offer food calmly and never force the baby to eat. - Never scold or yell at the baby - this will only create negative associations with food and worsen the situation. Such negative impressions can affect children’s eating habits and cause problems with appetite in the future. - For the same reason, you should not use food as a reward. It is best to turn feeding into an easy, pleasant and unobtrusive game. But do not distract the child with additional fun: cartoons, books or toys. The main thing is to create pleasant associations and show the baby that complementary feeding is tasty and interesting. - Offer food to the child when he is hungry, do not interrupt his appetite with snacks. - Follow the feeding schedule. - The main thing is to set a positive example for the baby. If mom eats healthy foods, then the baby will want to repeat after her and discover a world of amazing new tastes. See also: