School nursing advice for fussy eating

Fussy eating in childhood is very common and a normal part of development. Luckily, fussy eating is usually a phase that they grow out of, but we know that it can be worrying for parents and carers.

The way that adults approach their child’s fussy eating can help them to grow out of it or possibly make it worse. Children often need time to learn to like new foods and refusing food can sometimes be a way of showing independence.

The top recommendations for approaching fussy eating are:

• keep to a routine
• do not fill up on drinks before meals
• adopt a caring attitude (encourage but do not force them)
• you decide what to offer, and let your child decides how much to eat
• persevere as it can 25 times for a child to accept a new food

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals community dietetics service booklet has really useful information and activities to guide your approach to your child’s fussy eating.

The NHS has patient webinars on fussy eating in children.

Diet

Evidence shows that children are generally eating high sugar diets, and we know that sugar is incredibly addictive. Children who each a lot of sugar may be less likely to accept new savoury flavours.

Food swaps can help to reduce sugar intake and so may help with fussy eating. There are lots of food swap ideas. We also recommend the NHS food scanner app.

Is it normal fussy eating?

Sometimes children have more complex or extreme fussy eating. The table on page 5 of the booklet explains what is common fussy eating (that they should grow out of) and what is extreme fussy eating.

Dealing with extreme fussy eating requires the same approach mentioned in the above recommendations but can take a long time and require extra strategies to resolve.

NHS patient webinars has useful resources and exercises that can help children with more extreme fussy eating too.

As eating is such a sensory activity, sensory processing issues and neurodiversity often impact eating experiences and habits.

Sheffield Children’s autism resource directory may come in useful, particularly this pre-recorded workshop.  There are further resources in this virtual therapy area for children with sensory processing difficulties.