Food – Friend or foe with the children in your home?
Often parents share struggles that they have with their children and their eating habits. When gathering information from parents, I hear comments like, “He will only eat pasta ” or “She is so picky!” Such concerns reported by parents are not typically consistent with a DSM diagnosis for an eating disorder yet parents are struggling because a problem does exist.
Concerns expressed are more likely behavior problems rather than an eating problem, according to Deborah Kennedy, PhD, an expert in nutrition and behavior. “Picky” eating is not a diagnosis. However, picky eating is often a challenge in a lot of homes. When working with parents, I frequently reference Kennedy’s practical approach to improve children's eating habits.
Two traits of a “picky” eater according to Kennedy are those kids that:
- Eat a limited variety of foods
- Are not open to try new foods - either refusing to eat or afraid to try
- Food rules & expectations
- Consequences
- Healthy food first then dessert
- New foods are tried with at least one bite
- Consistency
