Family
FITFAM
with Ziggy Makant
HOW TO HANDLE
FUSSY EATERS Navigating meal time, from little ones going through a picky phase to bodyconscious adolescents and teenagers, can be challenging for any parent. I spoke to expert Sanchita Daswani to get some insight into my family’s most common roadblocks. Daswani is a nutrition consultant for babies and toddlers, who works with parents to empower them around meal times. Here’s what she said: We have certain meals the kids will eat, but it’s getting boring for us parents. How can I vary our meals without rocking the boat? Sanchita Daswani: Just making small changes to the meals you already regularly eat can change the flavour, and provide a wider variety of minerals and nutrients. Try cooking with a different oil at every meal, using different milks in pancakes and porridges, or stirring in some superfoods, like ground nuts or seeds. My children go through fussy phases, where they suddenly decide they don’t like certain foods they previously loved. How do you tackle issues like that? SD: This is normal human behaviour. Remember, everyone goes through phases like those, even when
we’re adults! What’s important to focus on is our role during mealtimes, which I call the The Division of Responsibility. Parents’ role in feeding: - When food will be served - Where food will be served - What food will be served
Kids’ role in feeding: - If they will eat - How much they will eat - Which foods they will eat
I want to allow some freedom at our dinner table and let my kids develop their own internal hunger cues, but still ensure they’re eating enough. What language can I use to promote a healthy relationship with food? SD: During mealtimes, avoid making comments about how much our kids are eating. It's up to them to decide how much their body needs. When serving food, stick to the facts about what’s on the plate: “This is chicken with some broccoli,” instead of “This is healthy chicken, you have to eat it.” Don’t label foods as good or bad; for example, telling children brownies are full of sugar, so we shouldn’t eat too much of them. Take the emphasis away from food, and make meals about family time and engaging with each other instead. Talk about your day rather than checking in constantly about which foods they like and how much they’re eating.
Ziggy is a Hong Kong-based mum of two, pre- and postnatal trainer, micro-influencer, and co-host of the Mom Body Soul Podcast. She loves all things motherhood, sustainability and parenting. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @zig.fitmama or reach out to say hello at ziggy.fit.pt@gmail.com for FitFam leads and pitches!
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