March 1 - 15 , 2017 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY 27
You ’ re a full-time professional with a toddler and a school-aged child . Your toddler is a picky eater who hates trying new foods while your school-aged child goes through weekly food jags eating only a few foods over and over again . Every week you struggle with food preparation . It ’ s tough trying to make meals that fit everyone ’ s preferences especially with no one agreeing on what they like !
Does this sound like you ? Many parents are dealing with meal mayhem in their daily routines . All you want is the best for your child , and to help them develop good eating habits . Picky eating and food jag habits are actually very common . So try not to fret about these habits , as long as your child is following a healthy growth curve – ask your family doctor or dietitian to help you monitor their growth . In the meantime , follow these simple steps to get mealtimes back on track . Spot the problem “ I wish mealtimes were less chaotic and more enjoyable .”
“ All I want is my kiddo to have a balanced diet and to eat a variety of foods .”
“ I wonder if my child is meeting their nutritional needs with these darn food jags and picky eating .”
“ How can I make meals that will please everyone ?!”
Many parents are probably dealing with these concerns ... and more ! What ’ s your main meal problem ? Get the facts Children are typically able to self regulate the amount of energy they consume . What they eat on a day-today basis will vary based on their appetite , fatigue , activity level and growth , and that ’ s normal . But here are some strategies to help you cope with a picky eater :
Share the responsibility for food . Parents and children
Arroyo , Santos & 9 others lose house posts
Why is family mealtime such mayhem ? have different jobs at meals . As a parent , your role is to determine what food is served , when it is served and where it is served . This means setting scheduled meal and snack times to help develop hunger cues around those times of day and eating together as a family whenever possible in a positive and undistracted environment . It is also important to prepare one meal as a family ( not multiple meals based on each child ’ s preference ) – your child will not learn to eat a variety of food if you only serve what they like . A child ’ s job is to determine if they want to eat and how much they want to eat . It may sound tough but your child knows when they are hungry or full .
Expose your child to a variety of foods . Repeated exposure to food means more than just presenting the same new foods one or two times . It can take up to 15 positive experiences before a child is willing to try something new .
By Whitney Hussain
To succeed , offer a variety of foods in small amounts alongside familiar foods .
Avoid pressure , praise , rewards or punishment . Pressuring children to eat certain foods and making the mealtime experience stressful is an ineffective strategy . Pressuring a child can cause them to eat too much or too little due to negative stressors at mealtimes . This can impact a child by causing them to ignore their natural hunger and satiety cues which , in turn , reduces their ability to regulate their own food intake . It can also increase their dislike of some foods and increase their picky eating habits .
Get kids involved with their meal . It helps to get children involved with grocery shopping , to get them handson in the kitchen during meal preparation ( check out our kid-friendly healthy snack recipe below ), or even allow them to pack their own lunches . Their involvement in the food they eat can help increase the variety of foods they are willing to eat . Seek support Have you tried these strategies but are still struggling with your picky eater ? Or maybe you have a child with other medical conditions and are unsure if those are the causes of your child ’ s behaviour towards food ? Or maybe you ’ re noticing that your child is not meeting their nutritional needs and missing out on whole food groups ? It might be time for professional advice from your family doctor or registered dietitian . There are many dietitians who specialize in pediatrics and who can help you and your child work through these nutrition struggles . Dietitians of Canada ’ s “ Find a Dietitian ” program can help you find a dietitian in your area . ( Fraser Health )
HOUSE leaders on Wednesday pushed through with a revamp that punished allies who failed to vote in favor of the Palace-backed death penalty bill , including former President and now Pampanga Rep . Gloria Macapagal Arroyo , who gave up her post as deputy speaker for Central Luzon .
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep . Rodolfo Fariñas declared seats vacant for 10 committee chairmanships and Arroyo ’ s post as deputy speaker .
The shakeup involves the House committees on civil service , government reorganization , Muslim affairs , natural resources , overseas workers affairs , land use , people ’ s participation , poverty alleviation , women and gender equality , public
information and basic education and culture .
Arroyo , in a statement , said she has no regret for voting against the death penalty .
“ The issue required a vote based solely on conscience and the deepest of personal convictions ,” she said .
“ The issue of the death penalty is unlike any other , in that it touches the core of each person ’ s fundamental view of human life ,” Arroyo said .
Arroyo said she voted against House Bill 4727 despite her support for Duterte and Alvarez .
“ I thank the President for his expression of understanding late last year regarding my position on the issue . I also thank the speaker for the honor of having served as deputy speaker of the House of
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