Is your child a fussy eater? Chrissy Harada, Founder and Nutritionist at SUNSHINE HEALTH & NUTRITION, shares some fun and easy ways to encourage healthy eating habits in kids and help them develop a lifelong love for nutritious food.
Fixing the fussy eater epidemic: 8 Tips to inspire healthy eating in kids
Is your kid’s diet a little too… beige? Are they a fussy eater? Most kids are notorious for preferencing beige foods such as bread, nuggets, chips and pasta. This is so much so that a whopping 96% of Australian kids are not eating the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, according to the latest National Health Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
It’s surprising that in a country renowned for its abundance of fresh produce, so many children are missing out on essential nutrients. Unfortunately, this is a reality that can result in kids having low energy, cognitive deficits, behavioural issues, poor immune function, and mood issues, and affect their overall growth and development. Severe nutrient deficiencies can have lifelong consequences, particularly during the critical stages of their growth. Children with multiple nutrient deficiencies are also more susceptible to obesity and chronic diseases as adults.
According to a 2022 study, nearly half of all mums and kids in Western countries lack at least one important vitamin or mineral. The most common nutrient gaps in children include calcium, vitamin D, potassium, fibre, iron, vitamin A, folate, and zinc.
Iron and potassium are the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies in Aussie kids. A study published in the journal Nutrients found that 54% of toddlers don’t get enough potassium. Low potassium can cause tiredness, muscle weakness, cramps and impaired growth and disrupt heart and immune function.
As for iron deficiency, almost 29% of kids between 4 and 6 aren’t getting enough. Iron deficiency can hinder physical and cognitive development, disrupt emotional regulation, and weaken the immune system. In severe cases, it causes anaemia (Zed et al., 2023).
Why healthy eating is harder than ever
In today’s fast-paced world, encouraging children to make healthier food choices has become more challenging than ever before. Parents and caregivers are usually doing their best. However, they often find themselves in a battle against the overwhelming presence of processed, calorie-dense, low-nutritional-value foods. Unfortunately, these highly processed foods have become normalised, being almost everywhere.
One of the primary reasons for this shift is the sheer busyness of modern life. With many families juggling both parents working, school, extracurricular activities, social lives and other demands of daily life, convenience foods can be the quickest and easiest option. It’s a struggle many parents can relate to. These options are readily available, heavily marketed, and can be more affordable than their healthier counterparts.
Watch for ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods can hijack your taste buds and be highly addictive. Some academic researchers hypothesise that between 12–20% of people are addicted to these foods, with consequences as devastating as drug and alcohol addiction. This addiction is making kids more likely to become fussy eaters, specifically craving these foods. Multinational billion-dollar food corporations have a significant influence on global eating habits, often producing mass quantities of highly processed and addictive foods (Wiss & LaFata, 2024). These companies employ scientists to make these foods irresistible, inducing cravings that keep consumers coming back for more so the profits can keep rolling in.
While some may believe that living in rural or remote areas or being affected by socioeconomic factors would significantly impact a child’s diet, recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare tells a more nuanced story. In fact, Australian government statistics reveal that diet differences between various income and location groups are less pronounced than one might expect. For example, fruit consumption is one of the few areas where a disparity exists: the data shows that 92% of children from the wealthiest areas and 96% from the most disadvantaged areas do not meet the recommended vegetable intake. This indicates that across the board, children struggle to consume enough essential nutrients, regardless of their economic background or where they live.
Inspiring a fussy eater to try new foods
The good news is that there are several easy-to-implement strategies for filling common nutrient gaps and helping a fussy eater. Addressing these nutritional challenges requires a multifaceted approach. Education and inspiration are key to establishing healthy eating habits in children.
- Get children involved in the kitchen: It may take longer and create a bigger mess, but the payoff is worth it. Let them wash vegetables, stir ingredients, chop, crack eggs, etc. Participating in food preparation can make children more invested in what they eat.
- Plant an edible garden: Start with easy-to-grow plants like tomatoes, snow peas, herbs, and strawberries. Create a schedule for watering, harvesting, and planting. Kids are far more likely to try new foods when they’ve grown them themselves.
- Serve extra on the side: Add fresh fruits and vegetables such as apple, olives, carrots and cucumber as a side dish to every meal.
- Make learning fun: Teach them about the benefits of different foods and the importance of healthy eating. Reading together from fun, age-appropriate books can be a great way to introduce these ideas.
- Let them choose a healthy recipe: Allow your child to pick a new healthy recipe from a cookbook. This gives them a sense of control and excitement.
- Explore new foods together: Take your child to the farmer’s market or grocery store. Let them choose a new fruit or vegetable to try each week.
- Make food fun: Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes with fruits, vegetables, and sandwiches. This can make healthy foods more appealing to picky eaters.
- Limit snacking: Avoid buying irresistible packaged snacks. Encourage fruit as a snack instead. Regular snacking can reduce your child’s hunger at mealtime, making them less likely to eat their vegetables.
Chrissy is a nutritionist and the author of The Mighty Mineral Heroes, a children’s book that inspires healthy eating through a fun learning journey. The book is available on Booktopia, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
By Chrissy Harada, Founder | Nutritionist | SUNSHINE HEALTH & NUTRITION
Chrissy Harada is a university-qualified nutritionist (La Trobe University) and journalist (Griffith University), business owner, published writer and mum of three. She is passionate about the transformative power that personalised nutrition and restoring gut health can have on our wellbeing and vitality.
Chrissy’s new children’s book, The Mighty Mineral Heroes, is part of her effort to inspire a generation of empowered kids. It aims to equip them with the knowledge and habits they need to thrive.
She believes that health is the real wealth, because it becomes the most valuable possession when it’s lost.
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