Giving a nutritious diet from early childhood is essential to enable children  reach their full Growth potential.

Is your child a fussy eater?

When a child grows, their needs and requirements change. Fussy eating is unwillingness to eat variety of food or try new food, as well as having selective food preferences. A fussy-eating child may lack nutrition due to less intake of healthy food. Nutrient  deficiency can cause health-related problems such as weak immune system, more prone to infections impacting overall growth and development.

How to handle fussy eaters?

• Prepare healthy meal plans for your children every day. Children will take time to adapt, but your constant efforts can make it possible. Offer them a variety of nutritious and tasty food. 
• Add more colors to the plate. Make it look more presentable and attractive, as this tends to attract kids easily. Present a variety of food items. But remember, it should be scrumptious as well as healthy. 
• If they reject a food item, try to offer the same food in different format the next day. 
• Encourage your child to drink adequate water to remain hydrated throughout the day.
• Give nutritional supplements if they are picky eater and missing nutrition to meet nutrition gap.
• Avoid use of mobile phones or watching television while eating. It will distract and not focus on food.
• Prepare healthy snacks for your children. Avoid snacks before the meals, it will disrupt their appetite.
• Be supportive and encourage them and be not harsh if they resist food. Give them time to develop to adapt to healthy meals.

Composition of a meal plan

A balanced diet for kids should include the following:

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Dairy products 
• Grains and cereals
• Protein-rich food like Meat, chicken, fish, Paneer etc.

Key points to be remembered

Some important points to keep note of while managing child who is a fussy eater for their growth and development are,

• Give them balanced meals in an appropriate portion size.
• Plan and prepare a variety of healthy and tasty food. 
• Avoid Junk foods.

Encourage your child to develop healthy eating habits from an early age. It is essential to meet your child's daily nutrition requirement to help them grow to their full potential.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed in the above Blog are the independent views of the blogger / author based on his/her experience on child growth and development. It is not intended to represent Abbott’s viewpoint on the matter or to promote Abbott’s products. Nothing in this content should be construed as Abbott giving medical advice or making a recommendation, endorsement of any kind, nor does it seek to replace medical opinion or independent professional/ clinical judgement.