MANHATTAN, Kan. – Parents who dread mealtime with the finicky eaters in their household can help their children and themselves make mealtime more successful, said Ellyn Satter, nationally known children’s nutrition specialist.

Satter, who combines her nutrition education with expertise as a counselor/therapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, is the author of several books, including "Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense."

She was the featured speaker at a recent nutrition education conference sponsored by the Kansas Dietetic Association Foundation; Kansas Child and Adult Care Food Program; Kansas Head Start Association; and Family Nutrition Program, which is administered through K-State Research and Extension.

"Some finicky eaters are born," Satter said. "Children are naturally sensitive to taste, texture, and smell, but some children are more sensitive than others. That can be positive – such a child may enjoy food a lot – or a negative. They may be upset by something they eat and gag or throw it up."

A finicky eater also can be made, she said. Children who are introduced to a variety of foods will be cautious about trying new foods if they don’t eat with adults who approach them matter-of-factly. In fact, parents who are fussy about their own food often pass their attitudes and preferences on to their children.

"Pressuring a child about food also can create a finicky eater. When pressured to eat certain amounts or types of food, children may be more likely to avoid eating them," said Satter, who advises parents that there usually is little, if any, hope of getting a child to eat when he or she doesn’t want to. Parents can, however, stop pressuring a child to eat and focus instead on table manners.

"Changing the focus actually can lessen problems with finicky eaters,"she said.

"Shifting the emphasis from the food itself to acceptable mealtime behavior – teaching a child to say ‘no thank you’ rather than allowing them to say ‘yuk!,’ for example – reduces mealtime tensions. De-emphasizing the food itself frees a finicky eater to pick and choose from the foods that are offered. It also can allow them an opportunity to learn to cope with their food sensitivities. For example, when politely refusing foods is an option, a finicky eater is more free to say ‘yes’ to new foods," Satter said.

Low-fat foods also are not nutritionally appropriate or appealing for younger children – they need the fat for growth and development. Offer their favorite foods occasionally, but not all of the time.

"Keep in mind that most children will have their own quirky eating habits – they may eat a certain food one time, but not the next. Some food preferences are inevitable; if, however, parents can try not to make food an issue, children are likely to grow up learning to enjoy a variety of foods," she said.

For more information on family health and nutrition, contact the local K-State Research and Extension office. Ellyn Satter’s books, "Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense" and "Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family" also are recommended.

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