Tips to help a child with picky eating behaviours (general suggestion):
1. Food diary (if possible 3 days: 2 weekdays, 1 weekend, note down all your food eating (baseline assessment) 2. Make three list of food: (a) Easy food, identify food that your child eating consistently (left side), (b) Medium food, has eaten in the past month but not consistently (middle) (c)Hard food, food that you find it hard for your child to eat and you like them to eat but your child don't want to eat (right hand). 3. Have routine meal intake at the same place: dinner table. No walking around to have food. 4. Switch food that has higher nutrient dense (prefer) as compare to the lower nutrient dense (try to limit/ reduce) (e.g. one cup vegetables (in easy food list) will have higher vitamin and mineral v.s. 2 cookies. Have more vegetables that your child like and prefer to eat. 5. Limit snack in between meals especially: one hour before or after main meals 6. Limit pacifier or bottles or sippy cup if possible. A cup is more hygiene and easy to clean 7. Limit juice or milk and serve it only at the table. Too much calories intake through beverages will fill up your child's small tummy, they won't be interest in food when it is meal time. 8. Makes water accessible all day
Child with eating behaviour may be also having other behaviour problem, e.g: talking (non-vocal), hard to follow direction, imitation etc.
For children with malnutrition problem (not growing) or medical issue, please check with health professional for individual plan.