Nutrition supplements for kids who are ‘fussy eaters’
I’ve heard a lot of people unhappy about these damn nutrition shakes for kids who are ‘fussy eaters’ lately.
Kids have been fussy over veggies for a long time…since we in the wealthy world had enough choice and plenitude that we COULD afford to be fussy, AND since refined sugar and salt was added to all the processed food out there (including baby foods and formula milk, sorry to say) teaching kids to have a ‘liking for sweet foods’ (otherwise known as a “sweet tooth”) within weeks of weaning off the breast.
The answer to ‘fussy eater’ kids is not to let them eat crap and then ‘top off’ their diet with some powdered processed shake from the local drug store.
The answer is to LEAD BY EXAMPLE like a good parent, and just eat real food, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts and seeds, and MAKE the TIME to cook real family meals made from fresh whole foods. If you offer vegetables every day, and if your kids understand that dessert is a weekend-only treat, that is only earned once the meat and vegetables are eaten, then in time, those little fussy eaters WILL eat their vegetables.
Offer vegetables early and often to fussy toddlers, study says: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27635861
This article refers to a study of kids below 24 months of age, but in my personal experience you can change the diet of children any age. 3 years ago I lost my temper with my kids over fussy eating one evening on holiday in a restaurant when they all fussed over literally everything that was put on our table…it was the straw the broke the camels back and I dug my heels in and put a stop to a fussy eating problem that had been building for a long time. Since then, I have worked hard for 3 years to improve the way my kids eat, and it brings joy to my heart now when we sit down as a family and I see them tuck in to a pile of fresh vegetables with a hearty Sunday roast.
They are still a way from perfect, and they still enjoy their ‘treats’, but my kids eat real fresh vegetables in one form or another almost every single day, a huge improvement from 3 years ago.
In my opinion, overcoming ‘fussy eating’ in kids takes pretty much the same good parenting skills that apply to most other aspects of raising well-balanced children: It all comes down to putting in effort, giving up your time and leading by example, the solutions are not found by buying some convenience product or blaming the government or the cost of living.
I’m sure this post will ruffle a few feathers…it’s my personal opinion, and I know all our lives and experiences are different, so this is written with all due respect and I welcome intelligent discussion!