Everyone knows about the most popular nutrition advice touting the benefits of eating three square meals every day. This is very important in order to stay healthy. Unfortunately, knowing something and doing it are two different things. Most people will admit that skipping meals is something that they do regularly for one reason or another. The habit of skipping meals is prevalent not just among adults but with children as well. Research shows that more and more children are failing to eat regular meals.
If you are worried about your children skipping meals, you need to know that you are not alone. This is a common problem that parents all over are having to deal with. Most parents will agree that the subject of meals is responsible for many arguments in the home.
Many kids are choosing to snack instead of eating proper meals on a regular basis. This is a habit that is contributing to the rising cases of eating disorders as well as obesity and an increase in lifestyle diseases.
Food Refusal Is Normal
It may be frustrating, but yes, food refusal among kids is normal. You might have spent hours preparing and serving the meal but it can go uneaten. You know how important it is for your kids to eat well, but the fact is that they might refuse to eat regardless of your efforts.
Before you start screaming or pulling your hair, you need to relax and remember that it will happen again. Watching your toddler refusing to eat can drive you round the bend but fortunately, there are things that you can do to get better results.
Find Out the Reason
The first thing you need to do is find out why your child regularly skips meals. Could it be that the child is consuming too many snacks before mealtime? Are they too tired or distracted, or simply bored? It may also be an issue of not liking the taste of some foods.
There are different reasons why a child may choose to skip meals. When you know the reason why your child is avoiding some meals, you can find ways to deal with it. You can find the best way to introduce healthy eating. Remember, children who skip meals may not be getting adequate minerals and vitamins.
Dealing with Picky Eaters
Many kids tend to be picky eaters. This is something that can start early in life. Unfortunately, most parents result in short-term solutions or practices such as threatening, bribing, distracting, and shaming while trying to get the child to eat.
These negative techniques rarely work and it can reduce mealtimes into times of stress and tears. Most experts agree that getting your children to eat will be more effective if you give them some control over whether and how much they eat.
Following Hunger Cues
In many cases, kids fail to eat simply because they don’t feel hungry. It is important for kids to follow their hunger cues to tell them when and what to eat. Every person has the natural ability to know when they need to eat.
Children need to learn how to trust their bodies. Relying on external cues like your constant reminders makes them less intuitive and unable to trust their hunger cues. Remember, the more pressure that kids feel during mealtimes, the less likely they are to enjoy the meal.
Identifying Eating Disorders
Skipping meals can result in eating disorders. When your child is still a toddler, you may not think too much about eating disorders. However, it is important to realize that skipping meals can become a habit, which then becomes behavior. Eating disorders are common among teens and it is now affecting even younger kids.
An eating disorder describes an unhealthy relationship with food where the person goes to extremes when it comes to eating. Some common eating disorders include bulimia and anorexia. If your child is skipping meals, the issue of body weight may be at the root of it.
It is important to allow your children to develop a healthy relationship with food. The best way to help your kids to avoid heart problems in the future and to maintain a healthy weight is to make sure that they eat three healthy meals every day. Talk to your children about their feelings and understand how they view food and eating. If your child has some fears that are affecting his feeding habits, talk to him about this. If your child has anxiety related to food, you need to consult a doctor or therapist to get expert advice.
Sources: healthline.com, familydoctor.org, sarahremmer.com, reuters.com, time.com.