The forum panellists (from left): Heidi, Dr Azam and Lizawati. At extreme right is facilitator Patrick.

By LIM WEY WEN

The Cybertorium at Menara Star was almost full when Dr Yelil V. and Dr A. Charmini took time off their busy schedules and walked in halfway through the Getting Children to Eat Healthy forum last Saturday.
 

Dr Yelil and wife Dr Charmini were among parents getting tips at the ParenThots forum.

Even though they had already missed the first half of the 1.5-hour forum, the couple was more than happy to have made it for the second half when the panellists were discussing the topic of food followed by the question and answer session. The Q&A session was enough to reassure them that they were not the only parents who find it challenging to encourage their children to eat healthy.

“It is reassuring to know that many people experience the same problems, not just us,” said Dr Charmini.

The forum, organised by ParenThots, was facilitated by family counsellor Charis Patrick and featured panellists - paediatrician Dr Azam Mohd Nor, dietitian Nor Lizawati Che' Lah and Gourmet Goo co-owner Heidi Shamsuddin.

“Our son is a picky eater,” said Dr Yelil. “He loves cheese. He lives on bread and cheese.”

“Sometimes he is just not interested to try new things. He’d rather drink milk most of the time,” Dr Charmini chipped in. “Somehow we thought we were the only ones who had this problem.”

Picky eaters are quite common in many households now, and it is actually not something that is very worrying, said Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur paediatrician Dr Azam.

It is a phase for most children and according to Dr Azam a lot of times, children outgrow their picky eating phase.

Parents are often concerned because they feel their children are not eating enough nutritious food.

To reassure parents, Dr Azam explained that as a child grows, his or her growth rate actually slows down.

The first year of life is usually when a child grows the fastest.

“During the first six months, you can expect a baby’s weight to double,” said Dr Azam. And if you compare that rate of growth to a two year old who grows about 1kg per year on average, you can see there is a disparity between reality and parental expectations.

“As the child's growth rate is slower, they need less food,” Dr Azam explained. “Most of the time the problem is not that the child is not eating. The problem is that the child is not eating what their parents want them to eat.”

Sometimes the child just needs a little more time to adjust to the smell and taste of new foods. Occasionally, a child may not want to eat because of mood swings, said Dr Azam.

There are, however, signs that the picky eating could be caused by underlying health problems. “If your child is not gaining weight, is in fact losing weight, or not holding onto the normal growth curve, it’s time to consult a doctor,” said Dr Azam.

Other signs that indicate that you may need help are: When the child is showing signs of sensory issues (like being sensitive to sounds, light or other stimuli), having problems swallowing or exhibiting symptoms of severe food allergy (vomiting or difficulty in breathing).

But if your child is just a little selective about what he puts in his mouth, these are a few tips Dr Azam suggests:

- Respect your child’s appetite. Your child will eat when he or she is hungry, so you don’t have to force them to eat or bribe them with food.

- Stick to a routine. Eating at regular times in a day is a good habit to form during the formative years.

- Be patient when introducing new foods. Some believe that a child may need to be given a new food 50 times before he starts to get used to the idea of consuming it. So, patience is also a virtue when it comes to feeding your child.

- Last but not least, set a good example, and make eating disciplined (but fun). Recruit your child’s help in preparing the food and make sure they are not distracted during mealtimes.

And although it is easier to just give in to your child’s wants when it comes to food, instilling some form of discipline may offer them the opportunity to try new foods.

Despite the difficulty parents have in introducing new foods, there is a type of food that seldom needs parental encouragement: Junk food. The problem is, junk food is usually high in calorie and low in nutrients.

“Children like junk food because it contains high levels of MSG (monosodium glutamate),” explained Pantai Hospital Ampang dietitian Lizawati. This is likely because MSG enhances the taste of the food, and once children taste it, their brain remembers and craves for it.

“That is why we do not recommend parents give their children junk food, even as an occasional reward,” Lizawati added.

One of the ways to avoid giving children junk food is to choose healthier snacks for them. Or, you can make your own chips.

“When you make your own chips, you can make sure you don’t use any food preservatives, and don’t add MSG,” Lizawati explained.

When it comes to the popular question of whether organic food will indeed help children grow up healthier, Lizawati said there is still no conclusive research to supports the claim.

“As a dietitian, I have no recommendations for parents to give their children organic food, but there’s nothing wrong in giving it to your children. So, parents have to decide for themselves what is best for their kids,” she said.

There is no doubt that one of the best ways to encourage healthy eating habits is to prepare healthy food for your children. But how can a parent juggle between putting healthy food on the table and working at the same time?

Heidi Shamsuddin, a mother of three and the co-founder of baby food company, Gourmet Goo (gourmetgoo.blogspot.com), thinks it can be done with a little creativity and flexibility.

“I am quite passionate about getting parents to prepare their own baby food at home because I truly believe that it is the best start in life for the baby and it is the best food you can give to your baby,” she said.

“Lately I’ve been using a tray method - I put everything in a tray or a roasting dish; I put in chicken, carrots and spices, put it in a fridge, and when I get back from work, all I have to do is put the tray into the oven for 30 to 40 minutes,” she said.

In the end, every child is different, and parents will have to tailor their parenting and feeding styles according to their children’s preferences and temperaments.

“Because all children are different, and you know your child best, (these tips) are just common sense things that you can do,” said Heidi. “The rest of the time you just have to play it by ear,” she added, describing the different eating habits her three children have.

“One is picky and the other eats very well, and I treat them accordingly. So, you just have to trust your instincts.”
 

Activities for children were held in the Cyberhub next door while the parents were in the Cybertorium listening to the forum.