Factors that may reduce a child’s appetite include -

• Tiredness.
• A feeling of /being unwell.
• Teething.
• A change to the usual eating plan, i.e., Consuming too many snacks throughout the day.
• Drinking large amounts of fluid, especially just before meals.
• Constipation.

• Model healthy eating - you are likely the most important role model for your child, they will learn many skills and behaviours from you, including eating habits and your attitude towards food and feeding. Eating meals together, as a family, allows you to model eating by encouraging your child to enjoy a variety of foods, finish the meal in a timely fashion, be respectful toward food, and experience the social aspects and rituals that occur while eating with others.
• Include low protein foods into everyone’s meal; your child will learn that these foods are “normal” and they will feel included.
• Encourage a calm and positive environment by removing distractions such as the TV, i-pads/phones, games, and toys during mealtimes. This helps your child focus on their food, not something else they may consider more exciting! A relaxed chat about their day should provide an enjoyable and calm environment.
• Offer nutritious food when your child is most hungry. They will fill up on this and will have less room for food of lower quality.
• Some children eat well in the morning, others are most hungry at lunchtime. Observe your child’s hunger cues and offer healthy foods at times when they are most hungry.
•  Avoid meals when your child is too tired to eat. It is difficult to get a child to sit and eat well when they are exhausted. Delaying a meal until after a nap, will likely result in a happier and hungrier child.
• Three meals (and up to 3 snacks, if there is time) per day is ideal, but timing should be flexible, depending on your child’s sleep routine and activities. Try to avoid excessive snacking, high calorie treats, and drinks close to mealtimes, these will likely reduce your child’s appetite and they will be less likely to eat the next meal well.
• Offer a nutritious main course and dessert at mealtimes. This will increase the variety of food offered to your child.
• Keep portions small rather than large. Once your child finishes what they are given, you can offer more. If they are hungry, they will accept it. (see ‘How much should my child eat?’ for further information on serving sizes).
• Praise your child when they are eating well, not because they are being “good” but because they are eating well and therefore must be hungry. Although it can be frustrating when a child is not wanting to eat a food or meal try to ignore it. Children often pick up on any anxiety around food. Staying calm and positive, even if your child has not eaten much, is important so as not to make the situation worse.
• Don’t use food as a reward. Aim to reward your child in different ways, for example, a sticker for their reward chart, an outing to the park, a play of their favourite game, or a play with a friend.
• Encourage your child to feed themselves as this helps them to develop and improve their feeding skills as well as giving them some control. Giving them this control may mean that they eat more. Finger foods such as low protein sandwiches, permitted vegetable sticks, and permitted fruit are good options.

Some tips which may help

• If you want to offer your child a choice for a meal or snack, do so by offering a choice of 2 things you would be happy for them to eat. Do not ask them an open sentence “What would you like to eat?”, instead name the 2 options i.e., Would you like some apple or pear? 
• When you are introducing a new food, try serving it with a food your child will happily eat. Try not to worry about the amount that they eat initially. It is a start if your child simply touches or licks the food. Gently encourage them to try a bit and praise them if they do. 
• If your child refuses to eat a food they previously accepted, try waiting a few days, a week or even a month before offering it again. Another suggestion is to offer it when the whole family are also eating it.
• Serve food they like alongside the food they have refused, so the meal looks familiar. Don’t make a fuss or comment if it has not been eaten but try again another time. 
• Always praise your child for trying a new food i.e., good job on trying the corn cob?
• Don’t make something different if they refuse the meal you have prepared, they will be hungry and eat at their next meal. It will restrict their diet further if you keep making their favourites.
• Don’t let frequent refusals put you off trying something different. Be patient, and never give up exposing your child to different foods and food combinations. Use cooking shortcuts to reduce your time in the kitchen preparing special meals. Cook larger portions than you need so you have leftovers for other meals, and sometimes batch cook and freeze. This all helps to make your life easier.

Don’t allow your child to eat whilst walking/playing. Not only is it unsafe, it isn’t the appropriate environment for feeding, the child is distracted and not focused on their hunger or eating and it does not encourage a positive social experience.

It is important that everyone involved in your child’s care and meals manages routine, behaviour and any “fussy eating” your child exhibits, in a similar way.

If you feel your child has an extreme aversion to trying new foods or is especially anxious about trying new foods, speak to your metabolic dietitian who will be able to help or may choose to refer you to someone who can help further.