Q My 18-month-old granddaughter prefers to eat only white rice. Could she suffer from any nutritional problem? And how can we get her to eat other foods?
A If it is just vegetables she does not like to eat but she eats fruit, then you can be less concerned about nutritional deficiencies.
The dislike of vegetables is a common problem among young children. It can be due to various reasons - she could dislike the taste or texture of the vegetables, or she could have had an unpleasant experience of choking on some fibrous bits of vegetable.
The idea is to continue offering her a variety of foods and making eating in general a pleasant experience. This means no force feeding.
Try to vary the appearance and taste of the food so that she will have something new and interesting to look forward to.
But if she is eating only carbohydrates (rice) with little meat or vegetables, then yes, she would be at risk of some nutritional deficiencies and it would be wise to consult a doctor or nutritionist on this problem.
Q My son is turning two years old and has become very fussy about what he eats. He now eats only crunchy food such as cornflakes and rice crackers. He refuses rice, porridge, vegetables and meat which he used to eat. He will drink formula milk only twice a day and my wife is weaning him off breast milk. What can I do?
A It is common for some children to take only certain types of food at certain times. Do not get disappointed. Continue to offer him various types of food. It is a matter of time before he starts to eat them again.
Try to vary the appearance and taste of the food so that he will have something new and interesting to taste.
There are some eating behaviours in children that are quite acceptable. Some will eat only certain foods for a period of time and reject the same foods subsequently. Their tastes and preferences may change without apparent reason.
In the long run, the varieties of food they eat will be quite well distributed.
Paediatricians tend to recommend weaning a child off the bottle between 18 months and two years. Prolonged bottle-feeding can result in problems relating to dentition, nutrition and eating behaviour.
Children who drink large amounts of milk, leaving them with little appetite and desire to eat solids, may not develop appropriate feeding skills.
Here are some feeding tips:
- Be patient and consistent, and persevere. It may take a few weeks to get your child completely off the bottle. Try not to send mixed messages by going back to the bottle when you are frustrated.
- Pick a stress-free time to try weaning him off the bottle. Avoid periods when you are doing things such as moving home, renovating or travelling.
- Substitute one milk feed from the bottle at a time with the cup. Start with the least important milk feed, such as the one during mid-day or in the afternoon. After about a week, substitute another milk and so on. The last milk feed of the day, the one just before bedtime, is usually the most difficult to substitute as the child often uses this as a comforter. To substitute this, you may have to start offering water instead of milk in this last bottle.
- Offer water only in a cup at meal times. During this weaning period, it is best to avoid giving your child any juice or sweetened drinks. Instead, give him only milk or water so he does not come to expect sweetened drinks whenever he is given a cup.
- Use a cup that features your child's favourite book or TV character.
- Give your child more cuddles, praise and time during this period as he may feel deprived of one of his major sources of comfort. Offering a cuddly toy or a soft blanket may also help.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
