Changing Bad Eating Habits

Changing Bad Eating Habits

     The best way to deal with a bad habit is to not develop it in the first place. Once it is established, it is painful to change. I was in school at a time when most doctors and nurses (along with most of society) smoked. We all learned that the only way to quit was to quit and it wasn’t easy.

     Picky feeding begins when a child takes in so much milk, juice, crackers and fruit snacks between meals that he is not really hungry when he comes to the table. There are no picky feeders in Third World countries – they eat anything they can get. Picky feeding is further developed because the child who has been given a diet high in sugar demands high sugar/high fat foods at meals and will loudly protest if fresh fruits and vegetables are presented. A mom who is pressed for time and has other kids is often not able to resist the tantrum and ultimately gives in just to see the child eat something. The child quickly learns that if he just keeps the fight up long enough, he will get what he wants.

   Start the Prime Rule of Feeding: “What you eat at meals determines what you eat between meals”. Most children are hungry shortly after waking up, so that is a good time to start changing the habit. Avoid giving the quick-fix juice or milk before breakfast in the morning and have healthy, non-sugar cereal and fresh fruit available. (The first step in stopping cigarettes was to get them out of the house – the same goes for non-healthy foods.) One glass of milk is allowed with meals, but if the child is a “milk-addict” give the food first. If the child eats, fine. If the child refuses and fights, so be it. If food is refused, the child isn’t very hungry. Allowed him to leave the table. Avoid the “up and down” game – once you are done with a meal, you are done. Also, avoid statements like: “Well, I HAVE TO feed him SOMETHING!” No – you have to give him food – whether he eats it or not is up to him. Tantrums are exhausting for both parent and child, so you just have to last longer than he does. Don’t let his frustration become your frustration. Smile and stay supportive but don't give in.

     Now the Prime Rule applies. If the child ate a reasonable breakfast (not the “clean plate” club) and is hungry in mid-morning, offer a healthy snack and water to drink. Remember that “100% fruit” on a package usually means 100% sugar. When lunch comes along, the only choice you offer is a healthy food. If the child refuses, it means that he got too many calories between breakfast and lunch and he isn’t hungry. Don’t fight or try to force him, just don’t repeat the mistake. The Rule means that if you refuse to eat at a meal, you don’t eat (or drink) anything but water until the next meal. The child can have all the water he wants until the next meal but no milk, juice or snacks. He won’t get malnourished in three hours of not having anything with calories in it but he will get hungry and the peas might look better to him at dinner if he's hungry. Normally, toddlers do snack between meals, but we are trying to change a bad habit. We can always go back to a piece of fruit when he wants to snack once the picky feeding is gone. But be careful to never give anything but water 1 hour before a meal. If the parent can ignore the tantrums, avoid the guilt and stick to The Rule, it won’t take more than a few days for the child to learn that things have changed. Life will get a lot easier – and a lot healthier - for both you and your child.