Is your little one more than just a 'picky eater'? Do mealtimes sometimes feel like a battleground rather than a joyful family experience? You might be dealing with a sensory processing issue! It's more common than you might think, and the good news is, there are ways to navigate this and make food fun, nutritious and exciting for everyone!
Decoding Sensory Sensitivities
Imagine your child's brain as a super-powered computer trying to make sense of the world's information overload. For some children, the brain struggles to interpret input from their five senses. This is known as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). This can impact how they experience the taste, texture, and smell of foods, leading to very particular eating habits.
More Than Just Picky Eating
While some kids are just picky, children with feeding disorders often have a much smaller range of foods they'll accept. We're talking less than 20 foods, and sometimes they are even brand-specific or presentation-specific! The great news is that there are practical things you can do to help your child feel more comfortable with food and develop a healthier relationship with it.
The Exposure Game: It's All About the Fun
The first step is to introduce new foods without any pressure to eat them. Think of it as a fun exploration! Let them play with their food, smell it, lick it, and even get creative with it. The idea here is to make food a fun adventure, not a stressful challenge. It may take many times of them seeing and interacting with a new food before they are ready to try it.
Tips for Happy Mealtimes
- Create a Positive Food Environment: Make meal times enjoyable. Ditch the power struggles, and focus on creating a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
- Lead By Example: If you're not keen on the Brussel sprouts, it's likely they won't be either. Show them you're willing to try new things and enjoy the process. Who knows you might find a new favourite too.
- Involve Them in the Process: Kids are far more likely to try new foods if they've been involved in the prep. Think of washing, chopping, stirring, tasting and even choosing the recipe.
- Don't Give Up: It can take a good ten times or more to decide whether you like something, keep trying! And as for the kids well they may need many more.
- Keep it Fun: Let them play with food (if appropriate of course), explore different textures, and even get messy. It's all part of the learning experience.
From the Experts
It’s not just about getting kids to eat the right things; it’s about understanding what is happening. Nutrient deficiencies can play a part in this too. Zinc and Iron for example are important for taste and smell. So, a varied diet is essential to a well balanced and happy life.
Get Cooking!
Ready to turn your kitchen into a fun, educational and engaging environment? Check out the koalacook app! With age-appropriate activities, exciting recipes, and plenty of creative ideas, you can get your kids involved in preparing healthy, delicious meals. It's a perfect way to make food fun and to get every child learning to cook.
Remember, it's not about overnight success. It's about building a positive relationship with food and making mealtimes a happy, healthy and enjoyable family experience. So, get your aprons on and let's get cooking! It is so much easier than you may think.