Parents and guardians
Eating well
Many children go through phases of refusing to eat certain foods or even at times refusing to eat anything at all. This is common in young children when they are trying to show their independence. Although it may be worrying, it will not be harmful if your child doesn’t eat for a short period.
Golden Rules aka Division of Responsibility
As a parent you should decide on:
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- What, when & where foods are offered.
It is up to your child to decide:
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- If they want to eat, how much they want to eat, and in which order.
Environment
- Remove all distractions, e.g. TV, radio, toys, pets.
- Eat together as a family.
- Sit down at the table to eat.
- Seat your child so they are well supported & within easy reach of their plate/cups/utensils.
- Create a happy, relaxed atmosphere.
Choice
- Offer the same foods as the family eats – don’t prepare separate “special” meals.
- Continue to offer foods (on separate occasions) that have been previously refused. It may take a few exposures for a child to accept new foods.
- Don’t assume a child will dislike a particular food.
- Offer a new food alongside a familiar (liked) food.
- If they refuse food, do not offer.
Meal-times
- Offer very small amounts – too much food may overwhelm your child. Praise them when this is eaten and gradually increase the amounts offered.
- Encourage self-feeding, even if they are messy – table manners can develop later!
- Expect, allow & prepare for mess – place splash mats & newspaper on the floor. Clean up calmly at the end.
- Wipe sticky hands & face after the meal.
Timing
- Offer 3 meals. Some children may need snacks in-between.
- Set meals are better than “grazing”.
- Limit meal times to 20 – 30 minutes.
- Praise your child when they eat.
- Don’t become anxious, “fuss” or argue with your child.
- Learn to read cues—stop if they are turning their head away or clamping their mouth.
- Don’t rush your child to finish eating.
- Don’t force them; calmly remove the food after 30 minutes.
Increasing iron in the diet
Children need to ensure they have a good iron intake to support their rapid growth and development. The easiest and healthiest way to increase the amount of iron in the body is to eat a balanced diet containing lots of iron rich foods every day. Below we will provide you with lots of suggestions for iron rich foods which should help make meal planning a little easierIron is found in many foods but the body can most easily absorb the iron found in animal sources.
The best iron rich foods are:
- Red meat (e.g. beef, lamb, pork, ham, venison) – a general rule is that the darker the meat, the more iron it contains!
- Dark poultry meat or game (e.g. dark turkey / duck)
- Offal, black pudding, haggis.
- Fish – Sardines or mackerel.
- Liver and liver pate are excellent sources of iron but should only be eaten by children once a week due to high vitamin A content.
Non-meat sources of iron:
Iron is also found in a number of non-meat foods:
- Pulses e.g. beans (including baked beans), lentils, chickpeas..
- Green leafy vegetables e.g. broccoli, dark green cabbage (kale), peas.
- Dried fruit – apricots, raisins, figs.
- Chopped nuts e.g. almonds, brazil nuts.
- Egg yolks.
- Bread (especially wholemeal), oatcakes, chapatis, poppadums.
- Potatoes – especially with the skin on.
- Some products are fortified with extra iron such as breakfast cereals and breads – check the labels to see which are fortified.
The iron from non-meat sources is not absorbed as well by the body compared with the iron found in animal sources. Vitamin C can help the body to absorb this iron. It is important to include foods high in vitamin C at each meal. Aim for a good balance of both iron rich and vitamin C rich foods on the plate, have a piece of fruit after meals, or a glass of orange juice alongside.
Foods high in vitamin C include:
- Fruits and fruit juices e.g. oranges, berries, kiwi.
- Potatoes.
- Vegetables (e.g. peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach).
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