The no.1 rule for parents of fussy eaters

The number one rule for parents of fussy eaters

There are many simple tactics that support better eating for picky or fussy eaters. Today I’d like to speak about one which is critical.

I had the privilege of speaking to the mum of a 17-year-old diagnosed with ARFID * (see bottom of the blog for an explanation about eating and feeding disorders).

Mum had realised right from the start that her otherwise bubbly, sporty son, was finding food a real challenge. He had a very restrictive diet meaning that he wasn’t able to eat many of the foods that nourish the body.
He also found social occasions, even lunches at school, a real challenge as he could only eat a very narrow range of foods comfortably.

So why am I talking about this mum?

Because she lived and breathed the number one rule for parents of fussy eaters: Never give up.

Despite her son finding new foods incredibly difficult, she was determined to help him eat more widely. By the time we spoke she had managed to support him to gradually add new foods to the point that although his diet was still quite narrow, he was able to eat a range of nutrient dense options.

However, these foods often took a LONG time to add into the diet. It was an ongoing…