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What Kind of Eater Is Your Kid?

For a lot of moms, food is a daily source of stressful questions. What should I serve my kids? Is it healthy? Is it easy to make? And most importantly: Will they eat it? And if you feel like you can’t turn around without hearing about allergies, obesity, or other worrisome food issues, you’re not imagining it. They’re on the rise, but you don’t have to be overwhelmed by them. Here, we explore three of the most common ones that plague parents of young kids—plus the best ways to deal.

The Sensitive Tummy

Is this your kid? Symptoms indicating a food allergy can range from mild to severe, but if your child’s body isn’t agreeing with something it’ll let you know. Signs to watch out for include hives or rashes, a runny nose, nausea, diarrhea or bloody stool, and wheezing or difficulty breathing, says Lanah J. Brennan, a registered dietitian. Additionally, monitor your child on the longer-term for fussiness around food, increased ear infections, or poor weight gain—all of which also can indicate a food allergy, says Alan Greene, M.D. and author of Feeding Baby Green.

What’s going on: The last twenty years have seen childhood cases increase by four hundred percent. While that might be due in part to a better understanding of food allergies these days, there’s more to it:  Many doctors and scientists link the increase to greater use of novel proteins and potential toxins in food. Another possible factor? Decreased consumption of inflammation-reducing omega-3 fatty acids. (We get them from foods like oily fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts, but their benefits are negated when we eat too many inflammation-producing omega-6s from refined oils and processed foods).

Six things you can do about it: Food allergies can’t always be prevented, but there are some steps parents can take to reduce a baby’s risk of developing one:

• Stay smoke-free. Research has found that even second-hand smoke exposure during pregnancy (and beyond) can increase baby’s chances for developing a food allergy.
• Wait. Hold off until your baby’s first birthday to introduce common allergens like cow’s milk, egg whites, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish into your child’s diet, advises Brennan.
• Consider antibiotic use. They temporarily decrease beneficial bacteria in the gut, leaving the body more vulnerable. The fix? Decrease your baby’s exposure to common allergens when giving her antibiotic medicines, says Greene.

If your child already has a food allergy, there’s plenty you can do to make sure she stays healthy and happy:

• Educate yourself. Learning about ingredients (especially hidden ones) and reading food labels is the easiest way to be sure you know what your child is eating. For an all-encompassing resource, check out allergykids.com.
• Eat together. “Rather than treating one kid as different, have your family try to adopt a way of eating that works for everyone,” Greene suggests. Does your kid have a wheat allergy? Make it a habit of serving brown rice with dinner instead of bread or pasta, for instance.
• Talk with caretakers. Make sure others know what foods your child needs to avoid, plus what to do if she accidentally eats it. “It’s important to have a face-to-face conversation about it and also hand them something in writing,” says Greene.

The Picky Eater

Is this your kid? This one’s easy: You serve up what you think is a kid-friendly meal, only to have your kid ask for mac and cheese instead—almost every night. What’s going on: It all comes down to what a kid is exposed to when he’s a baby or toddler. “I think everyone has different taste buds, but kids can become accustomed to anything. If you show them lots of different foods early on, they’ll be more open about trying new things,” says Nikki McGowan, owner and culinary instructor of Cannelloni Kids Cooking School in Maryland.

Five things you can do about it: In short, it all comes down to helping your child feel more connected to her food. Ideas to get her involved:

• Read up. No matter what you’re cooking, there’s something your kid can learn about it. Making salsa? Find out why tomatoes are good for you. Preparing a pot of collards? Discover how greens are a traditional part of Southern cooking.
• Let them do the work. Some of it, at least! When making hummus in her kids cooking class, McGowan uses handheld food processors with a locking device so students can have fun mixing ingredients on their own. “Once kids start hitting that button, it doesn’t matter what you put in—they’re excited!” she explains.
• Offer choices. Your kid’ll be more willing to eat something if he’s decided on it himself, says Jennifer Jones, Ph.D. and author of The Three P’s of Parenting. To keep things from getting too overwhelming, offer two or three options, like squash, sweet potato, or broccoli with dinner.
• Make meals nice.  “Kids pick up on presentation. Once we set the table, the craziness stops and they step up,” McGowan says. One idea? Instead of breakfast in the car on the way to preschool, try waking up twenty minutes earlier for a sit-down meal complete with silverware and real plates.
• Limit snacks. This one has nothing to do with fostering a connection between your child and her plate, but it will ensure your child is truly hungry at mealtime and up the chances that he’ll eat what you serve him. If his tummy is really growling, give him something small and nutritious like a piece of fruit.

The Overeater

Is this your kid? If your baby seems to have an insatiable appetite, don’t worry—she’s an expert at determining just how much food she needs, and will always stop eating once satisfied. “You can’t force a baby to eat when she doesn’t want to. If the baby is giving cues, she’s actually hungry, and that’s normal,” says Gina Ciagne, a certified lactation consultant with Lasinoh Laboratories. It’s not until children get a bit older that they begin to associate food with boredom, rewards, or other feelings besides hunger.

What’s going on: Toddlers and little kids who overeat are at risk for becoming overweight, which can potentially lead to other problems like difficulties being active, poor body image, or an unhealthy relationship with food, says Michelle LaRowe, winner of the 2004 Nanny of the Year award from the International Nanny Association and author of the forthcoming book, A Mom’s Ultimate Book of Lists.

Five things you can do about it: “With toddlers, we need to look at signs of overfeeding instead of overeating,” LaRowe explains. Yep, that means you: You’re in control of what your child eats—and how much. So:

• Be a role model. “Your child will eat as you do, not as you say,” LaRowe says. The best course of action? Choose moderate portion sizes of nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, while limiting treats to special occasions.
• Educate yourself.  Be aware the portion sizes and nutritional recommendations that are appropriate for your child. That way, you’ll be better able to distinguish between her needs and wants.
• Respect mealtime. Allowing your child to graze on snacks, juice, or milk throughout the day can make it difficult to determine how much she’s actually eating. Instead, serve well-rounded meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time—and, if possible, eat as a family suggests LaRowe.
• Teach healthy choices. Help your child learn to distinguish anytime foods (like apple slices and peanut butter) from sometimes foods (a slice of veggie pizza) and special occasion foods (birthday cake and ice cream).
• Promote good habits. Encourage your child to eat when she’s hungry and stop when she’s full rather than force her to clean her plate or bribe her with dessert. “Doing so not only encourages overeating, it also teaches that food is a reward,” LaRowe says.