My Fussy Eater Is Finally Pleased

“Please finish your food!” – this used to be my patent line every time I sat my son down for a bowl of meal. However, his response would vary each time. “Mumma, I don’t feel hungry.” “I don’t like this.” “I cannot eat veggies.” “I want chocolates for lunch.” And the tantrums were endless.

No matter what I cooked, my fussy-eating son never accepted it happily. I tried to feed him forcefully but it actually added to my problems. He started getting irritated, threw up in the middle of meals and used to get all cranky on me. Once he started to go to playschool his eating habits worsened. As a result, he was always exhausted, low on energy levels, didn’t feel like playing in the evening and to my surprise, his immunity levels were deteriorating too. This was not good news for me! His weakness made me feel guilty. Being his mom, it was my responsibility to make sure my son had the assurance of nutrition. A few days on, my son started to miss schools often due to illnesses. 

I took him to many doctors and every time, I came back home with tonic bottles for my son. No one really told me how to solve the problem of fussy eating. Nonetheless, one fine day I was greeted by an old friend at a gathering who also happened to be a paediatrician. Upon explaining her about my worries she told me all about micronutrients (Vitamins & Minerals). She emphasised on one of the most common misconceptions - that eating more is healthy. She explained, “Young children have a smaller food pouch as compared to the energy they need to be cheerful all day. It is a challenge for a mother of a fussy eater to put all essential nutrients in her child’s tummy because staple food may seem to fill his/her stomach but it is not enough for a balanced diet.”

She finally recommended this nutritious and tasty junior cereal for my 4-year-old son and said that this should work well with my fussy-eater. And guess what! My son loved eating this cereal! One bowl of this cereal was packed with the nourishment of multiple food groups. To my understanding, fortified foods are made so that they can deliver more nutrients. This cereal is a very good source of Iron along with lots of Vitamins and Minerals. I like to call it - the ‘bowl of assurance’ because no matter how my child eats all day, just one bowl of this ensures that my child gets all the nutrients necessary for healthy growth and strong immunity system. Oh, did I mention how tasty this is? Also, it is very easy to prepare.

Additionally, I started to give my son healthy food, packaged in a fun way. This ensured he ate his greens and was nutritionally taken care of. Want to know what I offered him?

1. Milk. But, blended with dry fruits (almonds, raisin & walnuts) and fresh seasonal fruits.
2. Salad. I made sure his plate was rainbow coloured. I pick colourful veggies and cut them into fun shapes.
3. Stuffed rotis. I made colourful rotis stuffed with beetroot, spinach and the likes.
4. Sandwiches. I played with cheese slices, veggies and bread to create fun-shaped sandwiches.
5. Fish & chicken were served as homemade kebabs stuffed with veggies and served along with mint chutney.

Apart from serving him food in an interesting way, I also started involving him in grocery shopping and cooking. We started sitting together to decide the menu for the day. I made him feel responsible for deciding who will eat what in the house. He started taking ownership of meal times. It was such a joy to see him put rotis on everyone’s plate and then ‘his highness’ would take his first bite and we will all follow suit.

Now we are back on track. No more tiredness. My boy is cheerful, happy and eats well. Also, his immunity levels have increased. Now, he never misses school! 

So mommies, if you have any other interesting ways of dealing with a fussy eater, do share in the comments section below.

Disclaimer:  “SHSH program is for educational purposes only, in partnership with doctors. Consult a doctor for queries about your or your child's health. "