Lyndel's tips for fussy eaters
We all have our likes and dislikes, but extreme fussy eating can affect your social life and relationships and jeopardise your health. If you feel that you have a limited diet, then read registered dietician Lyndel's factsheet on dealing with fussy eating and expanding your diet.
A balanced diet
There are five food groups which provide important nutrients for health and well-being:
1. Fruit and vegetables - fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juice all count
2. Breads, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals
3. Milk and dairy foods (or calcium fortified soya alternatives)
4. Meat, chicken, fish, eggs, pulses, nuts and seeds
5. Oils, spreads, biscuits, crisps, other foods containing fat or sugar
Aim to include something from at least three, if not four of the first four main food groups at each meal. Make one or two part of nutritious snacks too.
A varied diet will not only bring short term benefits but also provides body-protecting nutrients and antioxidants that help to reduce the risk of long term problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, nutritional deficiencies and cancers.
Top tips
Very fussy eaters aren't being stubborn or difficult, but often describe feeling incapable of putting foods into their mouth. Making changes requires a boost to your skills and confidence to help you achieve your goals. The most common reasons for wanting to change our diet are to improve our social lives or to look after our health. If you'd like to assess or expand your diet, check out these tips:
1. Keep a food diary to help you learn more about your eating habits (Do you include foods from each group? Do you nibble all day?). You can also use it to plan in trying new foods (see below), have regular meals, and to track your progress.
2. Be realistic. It takes time to change any habit. Adding in just a few new foods or combinations, or having a meal out, can be a great achievement. Be sure to enlist support from a family member or friend.
3. Explore food in different ways; handle it, smell it, lick it. You could also visit markets or farms to find out more about how food is grown and produced.
4. Write down a list of 5 to 10 new foods you would like to try - starting with the least daunting. Then plan how and when you will buy it, prepare it and eat it.
5. Eat in a calm environment. Sit in a comfortable chair, turn off the TV, eat with others when you can and talk about things other than food.
6. Give your new food a positive association, for example, does it remind you of a happy time, or could it boost your health or social life?
7. Try a new food alongside familiar foods you are comfortable with. Don't be surprised if initially you find it tastes odd. It can take a young child 10 to 15 tries to adjust to new tastes and textures and learn to accept and like a new food.
8. If you are very taste sensitive, try introducing new foods to the side of your tongue.
9. Add new foods to familiar ones. For example, if you like milk, whizz it with a banana to make a smoothie, or if you like plain pizza add some sliced ham, tuna or vegetables before baking. Experiment with new food combinations.
10. If your diets remain limited then a one-a-day multivitamin and mineral supplement is a good insurance policy. See your doctor if you are concerned about your health. They can also refer you to the local registered dietician for individual advice.
There are five food groups which provide important nutrients for health and well-being:
1. Fruit and vegetables - fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juice all count
2. Breads, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals
3. Milk and dairy foods (or calcium fortified soya alternatives)
4. Meat, chicken, fish, eggs, pulses, nuts and seeds
5. Oils, spreads, biscuits, crisps, other foods containing fat or sugar
Aim to include something from at least three, if not four of the first four main food groups at each meal. Make one or two part of nutritious snacks too.
A varied diet will not only bring short term benefits but also provides body-protecting nutrients and antioxidants that help to reduce the risk of long term problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, nutritional deficiencies and cancers.
Top tips
Very fussy eaters aren't being stubborn or difficult, but often describe feeling incapable of putting foods into their mouth. Making changes requires a boost to your skills and confidence to help you achieve your goals. The most common reasons for wanting to change our diet are to improve our social lives or to look after our health. If you'd like to assess or expand your diet, check out these tips:
1. Keep a food diary to help you learn more about your eating habits (Do you include foods from each group? Do you nibble all day?). You can also use it to plan in trying new foods (see below), have regular meals, and to track your progress.
2. Be realistic. It takes time to change any habit. Adding in just a few new foods or combinations, or having a meal out, can be a great achievement. Be sure to enlist support from a family member or friend.
3. Explore food in different ways; handle it, smell it, lick it. You could also visit markets or farms to find out more about how food is grown and produced.
4. Write down a list of 5 to 10 new foods you would like to try - starting with the least daunting. Then plan how and when you will buy it, prepare it and eat it.
5. Eat in a calm environment. Sit in a comfortable chair, turn off the TV, eat with others when you can and talk about things other than food.
6. Give your new food a positive association, for example, does it remind you of a happy time, or could it boost your health or social life?
7. Try a new food alongside familiar foods you are comfortable with. Don't be surprised if initially you find it tastes odd. It can take a young child 10 to 15 tries to adjust to new tastes and textures and learn to accept and like a new food.
8. If you are very taste sensitive, try introducing new foods to the side of your tongue.
9. Add new foods to familiar ones. For example, if you like milk, whizz it with a banana to make a smoothie, or if you like plain pizza add some sliced ham, tuna or vegetables before baking. Experiment with new food combinations.
10. If your diets remain limited then a one-a-day multivitamin and mineral supplement is a good insurance policy. See your doctor if you are concerned about your health. They can also refer you to the local registered dietician for individual advice.
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