The Poor Eater

Solving feeding problems Solving Feeding problems What if I need more help? How Should I Handle Dessert? The Finicky Child The Overweight Child The Poor Eater What if my child won't eat vegetables?

Define Your Concern Why do you think your toddler doesn't eat enough? Does she eat less than other toddlers? Is her growth consistently at or below the 5th percentile curve on her growth chart? Is her growth pattern shifting down to a lower percentile curve? If the issue is her eating small amounts or growing slowly at a lower percentile curve, this could simply be normal for her provided she is growing consistently. There might still be a problem, however, because many parents worry when children are relatively small. When parents worry about their child's eating or growth, it can disrupt feeding. Is your child normally small? Growing at or below the 5th percentile curve is likely normal for your child, if her growth is consistent. Even shifting across growth percentile curves can be normal, if the shift happens very slowly over several months or years. However, rapid veering across growth percentile curves is a cause for concern and should be reviewed with your health care provider. Also, your child may be plotted for the first time to be below the 5th percentile curve. Then, your health care provider may want to monitor her growth for a while to be sure it's appropriate for her. Why your child doesn't eat much Your child naturally might not need much food, and could be actually doing well. If there is a problem, growth will be affected, too. She could have an illness that spoils her appetite, or she could have a medical condition that needs to be attended to. It could be your feeding style. Whatever the cause, the solutions are the same. Choose the right food, feed in the best way, work together on feeding, and let your child grow up with eating. To help your child eat enough; Maintain a Division of Responsibility in feeding Offer meals with 4 or 5 foods  Have structured sit-down meals and sit-down snacks Don't short-order cook Limit between-meal- and snack-time food and beverages except for water Make meals worthwhile by having food you enjoy  Make sure you are not trying to cook too low in fat Offer moral support Understand children's eating quirks Be realistic about the small amounts children eat Get help with your own eating if you need it For a comprehensive set of educational materials that teach stage-related feeding and solve feeding problems, see ELLYN SATTER'S FEEDING IN PRIMARY CARE PREGNANCY THROUGH PRESCHOOL: Easy-to-Read Reproducible Masters (4th grade reading level, English and Spanish) and ELLYN SATTER'S NUTRITION AND FEEDING FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN: Handout Masters (7th grade reading level, English only). Copyright © 2005 by Ellyn Satter. For more about feeding your child, see Ellyn Satter’s How To Get Your Kid To Eat... But Not Too Much. For permission to reproduce this handout, call (800)808-7976 or e-mail info@ellynsatter.com

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