Enjoying mealtimes

Transcript

Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land and pays respect to Elders, past present and future.

This video provides general advice about feeding babies. If you have any questions or concerns about feeding your baby, please contact your child health nurse or GP.

Always closely supervise your baby when eating.

Responsive feeding is an approach in which the caregiver recognises and responds to their child's cues during meal times. This video is about how to make meal times more enjoyable for all the family.

Responding to your child's cues during meal times will create an environment in which your child feels safe and secure to explore food. Babies from a young age will watch your reactions or "cues" to ensure that they are safe. If your baby thinks you are concerned, they will pick up on this. Remain calm and let them see you enjoying the same foods. This will send a message that all is okay.

If using pre-packaged food, take the food out of the packet and place into a bowl. Putting food in a bowl or on a plate will also help your baby develop self-feeding skills.

Children need to be able to see feel smell and touch their food to be able to learn about and accept new tastes and textures. It is normal for your baby or toddler to have a reaction to new tastes or textures however this is not necessarily because they don't like the food. It may be because it is unfamiliar to them. Some new foods will be quickly accepted while others may take longer.

Depending on their cues you might:

• offer a different food on the plate,
• offer a sip of water or
• encourage them to explore the food more with their hands before offering another mouthful.

Follow their cues but keep offering small tastes regularly at different meals. Young children will need to have repeated opportunities to feel comfortable with some new foods. Continue the meal time while they are showing signs that they are interested in eating.

Babies and toddlers will pause eating during meal times. This is not because they have finished the meal, but they are telling you that they need a break or they would like a change. Follow their cues and let them resume when ready.

Children indicate that they have finished eating at the end of the meal through several cues. Younger babies will turn their head or stop opening their mouths. They may also start to fuss or cry. As babies become toddlers, they might start to use words or gestures to indicate that they have finished. To make sure you have understood their cues, offer food from their plate one more time and if they confirm they don't want more then finish the meal.

There is no set amount that your child needs to eat. Every child has a different appetite and will have different levels of hunger throughout the day. Let their hunger and fullness cues be your guide. Never force or coerce your child to finish their meal. This will decrease the enjoyment of meal times and is not helpful.

As babies become toddlers, they will become clearer in what they want to eat and what they don't. This is normal.

It is important to remember the roles of the caregiver and child in feeding. The caregiver provides a range of healthy food options and the child decides the amount and what foods they will eat. You can support your child's enjoyment of their meals by offering a wide variety of healthy foods regularly throughout the day, having a meal time routine free from distraction, and role modelling enjoyment of healthy foods.

If you're concerned about feeding your baby, talk to your local child health nurse or GP. You can also call the 13 health number if living in Queensland and ask to speak to a child health nurse.