Worried about your child's eating habit?

The fact that most children are not fond of meal times is a complaint of many a parent. In times like ours, when there are so many 'fun' things to do, rarely do children want to spend time sitting in a spot to do something as mundane as eating - especially since most do not realise that often hunger is what makes them irritable, bored and cranky to begin with! 

So what can parents do? The first thing is to relax, and tackle the situation in its context. Doctors tell us that we need not stuff our children till their noses drip food! We should only monitor for proper nutrition rather than what are 'normal eating habits'. As long as a child is not malnourished, lethargic, or stunted, there is no need to overly worry on the food issue.

Many children are picky eaters, but that is sometimes induced by how we as parents introduce items to them in early childhood. A variety in tastes, textures and flavours should be central to a child's food plan as soon as they start taking solids, obviously keeping in mind the age and capacity.