Is your child a fussy eater like this child.

[Peter_]

Is your child a fussy eater like this child.

Like many mothers, Smita Srivastava has a child who is a picky eater. But the Indian housewife has gone to greater lengths than most to entice her four-year-old, Nandika, to the dinner table...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10962398

[Gary L]

She's lucky she's Indian. she can make the food look like sweets.
how would you dress up sausage, egg and beans?

I wouldn't go to those lengths really. if she won't eat it then she'll starve until she does eat it.

[Kymmy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10959167

This one is an adult

I live with a fussy eater who loves white hard cheese, bread, lettuce, spring onions, anything crispy made from potato and a few other bits... Murder trying to figure out new things to cook for them

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by Gary L

She's lucky she's Indian. she can make the food look like sweets.
how would you dress up sausage, egg and beans?

I wouldn't go to those lengths really. if she won't eat it then she'll starve until she does eat it.

I have done this in the past and used the beans around the top of the plate as hair.

Having brought up a fussy eater who will now try anything I can say that making food appealing to children is 99% the battle. Using the eat it or stave method has never worked in my opinion as children have the stubborn capacity to out last the most determined of adult.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by joglynne

I have done this in the past and used the beans around the top of the plate as hair.

Having brought up a fussy eater who will now try anything I can say that making food appealing to children is 99% the battle. Using the eat it or stave method has never worked in my opinion as children have the stubborn capacity to out last the most determined of adult.

Having spent 5 years preparing cheese spread sandwiches EVERY day for tea time and being told every vegetable and fruit was too green(funny how green icing was fine) I now get very irritated when she informs me of a new vegetable or fruit she now LOVES..at 27.

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Having spent 5 years preparing cheese spread sandwiches EVERY day for tea time and being told every vegetable and fruit was too green(funny how green icing was fine) I now get very irritated when she informs me of a new vegetable or fruit she now LOVES..at 27.

I feel your irritation.

My 28 year old now relishes all the green vegetables he spurned whilst growing up and is growing them in every available corner of his garden. He even has the nerve to advise John and I about the necessity of eating as many vegetables as possible and the benefits of a varied diet.

[Hom3r]

It's easier for me to list what I eat that don't eat.

[idi banashapan]

we have to remember that tastes change. children who are beginning to become mobile go through a natural change in their tastes that has been around for thousands of years in that it does actually make certain vegetables and berries seem bitter. this is thought to be a natural change that discourages newly mobile children from eating random foods from bushes, woodland and the ground that may be toxic to them. this is why it is very common for toddlers (about 18 months to 4 years in many cases) to not like vegetables - the truth is, they can actually be quite bitter to them, depending on the severity of the change they are experiencing.

what we need to remember is that they will normally grow out of this, but many parents continue not to give their child certain food groups believing their child will always dislike them. this then reinforces the childs own belief they do not like the food and therefore will never attempt to try it... catch 22 in those situations. if the growing child did try the food again, they will likely find it tastes ok.

---------- Post added at 17:18 ---------- Previous post was at 17:13 ----------

with regards to the OPs link, i think it's nice that the mother is willing to spend the time on her child to make mealtime interesting. I feel sorry for those children who are fed processed freezer food every dinner time.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by idi banashapan

we have to remember that tastes change. children who are beginning to become mobile go through a natural change in their tastes that has been around for thousands of years in that it does actually make certain vegetables and berries seem bitter. this is thought to be a natural change that discourages newly mobile children from eating random foods from bushes, woodland and the ground that may be toxic to them. this is why it is very common for toddlers (about 18 months to 4 years in many cases) to not like vegetables - the truth is, they can actually be quite bitter to them, depending on the severity of the change they are experiencing.

what we need to remember is that they will normally grow out of this, but many parents continue not to give their child certain food groups believing their child will always dislike them. this then reinforces the childs own belief they do not like the food and therefore will never attempt to try it... catch 22 in those situations. if the growing child did try the food again, they will likely find it tastes ok.

Unfortunately this trait lasts well into adulthood and beyond so I've my doubts.Plus the youngest has always been prepared to eat EVERYTHING several times before deciding he doesn't like something..He was a smashing kid to feed.He made me realise I wasn't a crap parent..

[idi banashapan]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Unfortunately this trait lasts well into adulthood and beyond so I've my doubts.Plus the youngest has always been prepared to eat EVERYTHING several times before deciding he doesn't like something..He was a smashing kid to feed.He made me realise I wasn't a crap parent..

there is also a theory that genetics plays a part in some people whereby some vegetables will always seem bitter. sometimes of the genes we carry of that refer to taste (we all carry 2 of these genes iirc) can be more sensitive to bitter tastes.

It's been a while since I read up on it in child development, but I'm sure Google will hold many answers.

---------- Post added at 18:35 ---------- Previous post was at 18:34 ----------

the gene believed to be responsible for the bitter tastes is TAS2R38 (I couldn't remember that one off the top of my head, so had to google it).