Picky Eating, Zinc, and Developing Food Appreciation in Toddlers
Amy Tobey
FCSC 430 George Fox University
My sister Sarah is very precious to me, someone whom I look up to and admire for her courage, tenacity, and willingness to go the extra mile for those she loves. She has her share of difficulties in life though. One of them is that her son, now four, is a very picky eater. I’ve watched him refuse to eat almost everything except sugar. His little brother who is two, on the other hand, sometimes eats so much so fast he makes himself sick. He really likes food. I know the problem that my sister has faced with her four year old has affected the way she deals with food in general as well as her quality of life. How common is this problem? What are the underlying causes of picky eating? And is there anything a parent, like my sister, can do to help coax their little one to eat a wider variety of foods?
According to Lisa Fields of WebMD, “one in five preschoolers is a picky eater (2010).” The causes of eating problems are as varied as the children who have them. According to Effective Parenting for the Hard-to-Manage Child,
“The child may have problems sucking, chewing, and swallowing, making the process of eating difficult and exasperating for both parent and child. Some children are so hypersensitive to touch on their faces and in their mouths that certain food textures are aversive. There are also children who simply refuse to eat, hate sitting at the table, or have no desire for food.” (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008, p.47)
Problems can occur as early as the first introductions of food in the form of breast milk for those children who have sensory issues, making them hypersensitive to touch, especially in and around the mouth area (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008). This problem, known as tactile hypersensitives may cause the child physical pain when feeding, resulting in gagging, pulling away from food sources, and rejecting food of certain textures altogether (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008). This problem can persist when solid foods are introduced to young children.
“A common problem arising from oral tactile hypersensitivities is rejection of different food textures. This usually emerges around 9 months of age when table foods are offered. Some infants develop a preference for food with a firm, smooth texture, such as crackers or crunchy cereal. When this occurs, the infant is usually seeking deep pressure to the mouth by selecting foods that allow him to bite. Foods with uneven textures, such as applesauce with sliced bananas, are often rejected.” (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008, p. 51)
Children who refuse to eat often do so because they are learning to assert their will (Fields, 2010). The caregiver may be not paying attention to the child’s cues that he is full, or may feed a passive child too much food (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008). Children then become upset at their caregiver and express their need to be independent and care for themselves through food intake or refusing to eat (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008). If the behavior persists to the point of causing failure to thrive, the child will need to be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team to determine underlying causes of food rejection and help develop a plan for parents to overcome this disruption in nutrition (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008). This analysis of the child is especially important because an eating problem can often be the first sign of a chronic condition (Brown, 2011). “Examples of such conditions include gastroesophageal reflux, asthma (pulmonary problems in general), developmental delay, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism (Brown, 2011, Kindle location 11191).”
There are also children who become confused by their body signals. “Many infants and children with feeding problems cannot tell when they are hungry or full. Some children may confuse being hungry or full with the need to eliminate. Problems of this type are common in children who have poor processing of the sensory receptors in the gut and colon (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008, p. 49).” Children have not had their bodies as long as adults, and learning how to handle them can at times be a frustrating process.
Most children, however, are very aware of when they are hungry and not. If a child has too many snacks and drinks before meal time, he may never be hungry enough to eat anything that is served for dinner (Fields, 2010). Also, parents who force their child to clean their plate or use food as a reward can derail this whole self-regulating ability of the child instead teaching the child to overeat or under eat (Brown, 2011).
While children can self-regulate how much food, they learn what kinds of foods to eat (Brown, 2011). This can cause a problem when children are put on a special diet or show food preferences, especially when it comes to meeting a child’s need for zinc (Brown, 2011). “Zinc is found in foods of animal origin. Plant sources of zinc include legumes, nuts, and whole grains (Brown, 2011, Kindle location 10828).” Zinc is an important nutrient in the overall development of the child, yet low intake of zinc was found in most toddlers between the ages of 12 and 18 months by the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study 2002 (Brown, 2011).
“Zn, the most abundant intracellular trace element, is involved in a multitude of diverse catalytic, structural, and regulatory functions. For example, Zn is found in numerous enzymes, is a component of biomembranes, is thought to be necessary for RNA, DNA, and ribosome stabilization, is involved in the binding of a number of transcription factors, stabilizes some hormone-receptor complexes, and may have a regulatory role in tubulin polymerization.” (Keen and King, 1999, p.228)
According to King and Kleen, clinical manifestations of severe human zinc deficiency include growth retardation, delayed sexual maturation and impotence, hypogondism and hypospermia, alopecia, acoorificial skin lesions, other epithelial lesions (including glossitis, alopecia, and nail dystrophy), immune deficiencies, behavioral disturbances, night blindness, impared taste, delayed healing of wounds, burns, and decubitus ulcers, impaired appetite and food intake, and eye lesions. (1999) Keen and King tell us,
“If it is accepted that impared growth velocity is the primary clinical feature of mild Zn deficiency, several studies in Denver, Colorodo, provide convincing evidence. Apparently healthy children with low height-for-age percentiles were selected for a double-blind, controlled trial of Zn supplementation…In all studies of these growth- retarded children, Zn supplementation increased the mean height increment and height- for-age percentile increment compared with those of placebo controls.” (Keen and King 199, p. 230)
Environmental factors also have a huge effect on children’s eating patterns. If parents argue at the table, the television is on during meal time, or parents are dieting or picky themselves, children will sometimes refuse to eat (Fields, 2010). Children do not wish to be put in unpleasant situations with caregivers, can become distracted by the television, and watch parents’ eating habits to see what is acceptable and what is not at the table (Fields, 2010).
At this point, the parent of the picky eater may be beside themselves with the problem. Understanding it is useless unless strategies exist to help get parents through the difficult spots until the child begins to eat more regularly. Fortunately, there are things parents can do to help their child when it comes to establishing positive eating patterns. According to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, the first step is to share responsibility when it comes to meal time (2011). Their website tells us, “As a parent, you have responsibilities for feeding your child. Your child also has responsibilities. You control what, where and when food is provided. Your child decides whether or not to eat the food, and how much to eat (UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, 2011).” By setting this standard, mealtime becomes less of a battle ground and more of a learning experience.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital also urges parents to offer age appropriate food, avoid being a short order cook, respect eating quirks, and make meals pleasant (2011). Also, giving a toddler small portions and letting him ask for more is a better strategy than loading a plate with more food than the child can eat, establish eating patterns that allow the child to eat throughout the day without loading up on sugary beverages and empty foods, and setting enough time between feeding periods to allow the child to become hungry (Brown, 2011). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the child be given two cups of milk and four to six ounces of fruit juice, with water being utilized as a “thirst quencher” the rest of the time (Brown, 2011).
Other strategies to help the picky eater include:
“Use treatment techniques…to desensitize the mouth. Desensitize the child to one food at a time so as not to overwhelm him. If he eats only “white” foods, introduce a new white food such as rice cakes. If there is aversion to smell, put a competing, pleasant smell in the environment to override the smell aversion of the food. For example, burn a pleasant smelling cinnamon- or peach-scented candle during meals. Begin with firm food textures like crackers, steamed vegetables, or a piece of turkey. Expand the food repertoire, beginning with smooth, soft textures like yogurts and applesauce before introducing uneven textures (banana chunks in yogurt).” (DeGangi and Kendall, 2008, p. 59)
Effective Parenting for the Hard-to-Manage Child also includes a Tool Sheet on pages 248 and 249 to help the caregiver establish proper eating habits for their child, a valuable resource for parents who have tried everything they know how to get their child to eat a varied diet, that I have included as an appendix in this paper (2008).
Dealing with a picky eater can be a frustrating power struggle that is often made worse by parents’ attempts to get their child to just eat something. It’s important to remember that a parent is not alone in this problem, that most children grow out of this stage, and that there are techniques that parents can implement to make meal time pleasant for everyone involved. And, as my sister Sarah can attest to, some things do get better with age. He four year old is starting to eat regular meals and is learning to appreciate a variety of foods. Picky eating is just another challenge that is a part of parenting.
Appendix: Tool 18. Food Rules
1. Establish a schedule for mealtimes. If your child doesn’t eat a meal, avoid the temptation to try again in another hour. Stay with the schedule. There should be three main meals and two scheduled snacks (in the middle of the morning and afternoon). No extra snacks should be served, even if your child did not eat at one of the meals or snacks. This way your child will start to feel hunger and satiety and understand that when he eats, it satisfies his hunger. When it’s time for the next meal, talk about feeling hungry. After eating, talk about being full.
2. Don’t worry about how much he eats at mealtime. When it’s clear that your child is finished, take away the food and, if your child cannot play unsupervised on the floor, try giving him something to play so you might be able to finish your own meal.
3. Begin with food that your child can eat on his own, such as pieces of banana.
4. Always eat something with your child. This socializes the mealtime and keeps him interested in eating too. Be careful not to diet when your child is in this program. He will get the message that you are avoiding foods to lose weight and will model your behavior.
5. All meals are in the high chair or other appropriate seating. Ne eating should occur while your child roams the house or is in other places (i.e., bathtub, car seat, ect.).
6. Take plates, food, cups, etc. away if they get thrown. Give one warning, saying clearly “No throwing!” If the throwing continues, end the meal.
7. Let your child self-feed whenever possible. For younger children who cannot spoon feed, you can put out a small dish for baby to use while you feed him. Focus on foods that let your child self-feed and that are easy to manage in the hands or by spoon. For example, sticky foods such as applesauce or pureed bananas are easier than more liquid foods. Finger foods should be julienne strips of steamed vegetables or pieces of fruit or cheese that can be easily managed in the hand and mouth.
8. Limit mealtime to 30 minutes. Terminate the meal sooner if your child refuses to eat, throws food, plays with food, or engages in other disruptive behavior. If your child is not eating, remove the food after 10 to 15 minutes
9. Separate mealtime from playtime. Do not allow toys to be available at the high chair or dinner table. Do not entertain or play games during mealtimes. Don’t use games to feed and don’t use food to play with.
10. Don’t praise for eating and chewing. Deal with eating in neutral manner. It is unnatural to praise someone for chewing and swallowing food.
11. Don’t play games with food or sneak food into your child’s mouth.
12. Withhold expressions of disapproval and frustration if your child doesn’t eat.
13. Offer solid foods first then follow this with liquids. Drinking liquids will fill the stomach so that the child will not be hungry for solids.
14. Hunger is your ally and will motivate your child to eat. Do not offer anything between meals, including bottles of milk or juice. The child may drink water if he is thirsty.
15. Do the “special play time” (child-centered activity) before or after mealtime to give your child attention in positive ways.
16. Emphasize mealtimes as a social, family gathering time. In this way, the focus is on socialization rather than worrying about how much your child is eating. Be sure the television is off.
17. All caregivers need to agree to the program or it won’t work!
References
Brown, Amy (2011). Nutrition Through the Life Cycle, 4th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
DeGangi, Georgia A. and Kendall, Anne (2008). Effective Parenting for the Hard-to-Mange Child: A Sills Based Book. NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Fields, Lisa (June 6, 2011). What You Didn’t Know About Picky Eaters: Why your child is a picky eater and what to do about it. WebMD.com. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/feeding-a-picky-eater?page=2&print=true
Keen, Carl L. and King, Janet C (1999). Zinc. In Maurice E. Shils, M.D., Sc.D., James A Olson, Ph.D., Moshe Shike, M.D., and A. Catharine Ross, Ph.D. (Eds.), Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease: Ninth Edition (pp. 223-240). Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital (September 27, 2011). Picky Eaters. UCSFBenioffChildrens.org. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/picky_eaters/index.html