Feeding small children: a dietician answers your questions

Q: My youngest is particularly fussy. His fruit and veg intake are basically raisins with his breakfast cereal and peas and sweetcorn and they are only on occasions. No red meat or chicken either.

Frankie says: It’s difficult dealing with children who seem to be fussy eaters but in most cases it does pass. In the meantime, try not to worry too much. Try keeping a diary of exactly what he does eat - sometimes it can be useful to get an idea of what he's eaten over a full week rather than just one or two days.

One way that helps a lot of parents is to get their children involved in the food planning, shopping, cooking. You can also try having friends over to act as good role models - and of course eating together as a family always helps. Red meat and chicken aren't essential, but do include other protein foods like fish, eggs, beans, peas and dairy.

Have a look at the strategies for fussy eating on the NHS choices website.

Q: My son is four and weighs 14kg, he is very active and he eats whatever I cook. However, he is unable to swallow meat, he chews and chews but keeps it in his mouth, I’m worried his protein needs are not being fulfilled. What is the ideal weight for a four-year-old and how should I get him to eat by himself?

Frankie says: Meat is an excellent source of protein, but it’s easy to get protein from non-meat sources too – these include dairy, eggs, beans and fish, so you can include these as an alternative to meat if you need to. Some meat can be tough, depending on the cut used and the way it is cooked, so perhaps you could try a casserole or slow-cooked stew and cutting the meat into smaller pieces to see how he gets on. Marinating with fresh pineapple juice may also tenderise the meat and adds a sweet flavour which he might find appealing.

Having different textures in food is essential for good development so think about how he manages with other tough foods such as jacket potato skin or raw vegetables. As for his weight, there isn’t an ideal weight for age, but your health visitor will be able to see from his growth records if he is about the right weight for his height.

My daughter eats quite a lot for a three-year-old. She likes to snack (and she eats all of her meals). I'm running out of ideas as to what to give her that's filling, healthy and relatively low in sugar. She has a healthy diet and I cook all of her dinners but she still says she's hungry all day.

Frankie says: Your daughter sounds like she may be going through a rapid growth spurt. That, alongside the busy lifestyle that lots of three-year-olds have, may certainly be giving her an appetite. It seems like you are doing a lot of the right things already, with home cooked food being a great way to know exactly what your daughter is eating, without the added junk that can trigger over-eating. Perhaps she might need slightly bigger portions for some meals, so add an extra spoonful of veg and an extra spoonful of carbohydrates. Try a nutritious sweet treat too – a milky pudding such as rice pudding with some fruit purée, a fruit crumble with homemade custard or a yogurt and some slices of fruit may help fill her up and boost nutrition too.

Be aware that some days she might not want as much to eat, so don’t insist that she finishes every meal. As for snacks, fruit is great, but try mixing things up a bit and go for some cheese and crackers or mini sandwiches too.

With most children, changes in eating patterns is likely to be a passing phase, however, in a minority of cases they may persist, if this is relevant refer to your GP for guidance.

Q: My four-year-old has never liked meat or fish and now she has gone off fruit and veg. I can hide the veg in pasta sauces and soups but how can I hide fruit?

Frankie says: Smoothies can be a good way to introduce more fruit in the diet, but limit them to one per day because of the free sugars they contain – ask her to help you make the smoothie so that she sees the fruit going in them. You can also try adding fruit purées to natural yogurt – swirl in different colours to make them look attractive. Hiding fruit and veg can be useful in the short-term, but try to reintroduce whole veg and fruit as soon as you can – take her shopping with you and get her to help you choose fruits – brightly coloured varieties can often attract attention – and then ask her to help you prepare them.

Don’t forget to set a good example yourself, always show her that you enjoy eating fruit and veg too, as this is a powerful way of helping her see that they are an enjoyable part of the meal. Dried fruit can be a useful way of getting her back onto fruit but these are best included as part of a meal because of the impact they have on dental health.

Get inspired with these smoothie ideas

Q: Is there any nutritional reason why toddlers might need gluten in their diet? I suspect an intolerance and have cut it out (since doing so, we've seen a small increase in his growth; he is extremely short for his age) but my GP seems sceptical about my choice.

Frankie says: Gluten is a type of protein that is naturally present in wheat, rye and other cereals. It’s not essential to the diet as the protein we need can come from other sources. The problem is that avoiding gluten means avoiding a lot of foods which normally provide us with a good balance of nutrients. For example, bread made from wheat contains gluten, but we also get other vitamins, minerals and fibre from bread, so if we stopped eating it, those vitamins and minerals would need to come from another source.

Many people try cutting out gluten, but it’s actually quite rare to have a true gluten intolerance. If you are concerned that your little one might be affected by gluten, your GP can refer your son for further tests. It can be dangerous to simply exclude a food group from the diet without proper advice, so please ask for a referral to a dietitian. There is some really useful information about food allergies and intolerances here on the British Dietetic Association website.

Q: How do you know if your toddler has become lactose intolerant?

Frankie says: It’s rare for children to be truly lactose intolerant, but if your child is suspected lactose intolerant, your GP can do some simple tests to check. Symptoms often include severe bloating and diarrhoea. Lactose is a type of sugar found naturally in milk and dairy products, those with an intolerance to lactose, cannot digest it properly. However, even people with lactose intolerance often include some dairy products, especially live yogurt and cheese. If you don’t receive proper dietary advice, avoiding dairy can have nutritional implications for toddlers – so make sure you see a dietitian who can advise you if your little one is diagnosed with an intolerance.

Q: Does corn-on-the-cob have any nutritional value? When my child eats sweetcorn it seems to pass whole?

Frankie says: Yes, it does appear to go through whole at times! However, the inner part of the sweetcorn kernel is actually digested, it’s just the outer skin, which is mainly cellulose, that isn’t. The inside of the sweetcorn includes starch, which is broken down and used by the body. The skin is useful as a source of fibre that helps keep the gut contents moving and prevents constipation.

Q: Can you give me some meal ideas for a nine-month-old baby?

Frankie says: It’s a real adventure during the first few months of weaning, so make sure you enjoy it too. There are lots of useful resources on the web, and some have menu planners with easy recipes to follow. At nine months, your baby should be trying most tastes and textures, with the aim to move onto family foods around 12 months. Try to get in as many new tastes and textures as possible during this ‘weaning window’.

Take a look at our weaning recipes

Got more than one child on your hands? You might also be interested in reading Frankie Phillips Q&A for school children and teenagers.

Enjoyed this? Now read

How to feed children: Do as I do
Healthy meals for fussy eaters
How to keep children's teeth safe: A Q&A with the British Dental Association
Is my child eating too much sugar?
Healthy eating: What young children need

Bringing up a fussy eater? We'd love to hear your thoughts and comments.

This page was reviewed on 27August 2024 by Kerry Torrens.

All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.