Can My Pediatrician Help With My Picky Eater?

How your pediatricians in Gaithersburg, MD, can help with your child’s nutrition

Many children don’t have a problem with eating the food that is put in front of them. If your child isn’t always happy about meals, it can be frustrating. Children that are picky eaters can be difficult to manage. Fortunately, your pediatrician has some tips about helping your picky eater become happier at mealtime.

Dr. Farnoush Jamali and Dr. Hanieh Jafarieh at Prime Pediatrics in Gaithersburg, MD, provide comprehensive medical services for children, including nutritional counseling, to help your picky eater.

According to the Centers for Disease Control or CDC, these are a few ways you can help your child be a little less picky and a bit happier about eating:

• Eat the food yourself first so your child sees that you like it. Then have your child try it.
• Create faces with the foods on your child’s plate. Making mealtimes fun can help your child want to eat.
• Give your child different choice and let your child pick which food to eat.
• Serve new foods along with foods that your child likes.
• Wait a few days before serving the food again. It sometimes takes a few opportunities for your child to begin to like the food..
• Try different tastes and textures so your child begins to like a variety of foods.

If your child is a picky eater, you may be wondering about how many calories your child needs to eat to stay healthy. The guidelines for caloric intake for children are:

• 1000 calories, if your child is 2-3 years old
• 1200-1400 calories, if your child is 4-8 years old
• 1400-1600 calories for girls, and 1600-2000 calories for boys 9-13 years old
• 1800 calories for girls, and 2000-2400 calories for boys 14-18 years old

Try to limit snacks and sweets so your child has an appetite at mealtimes. Meals should contain a combination of lean proteins like poultry and fish, whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products.

To learn more about childhood nutrition requirements and nutritional counseling, talk with the experts. Call Dr. Farnoush Jamali and Dr. Hanieh Jafarieh at Prime Pediatrics in Gaithersburg, MD. You can reach them in the office by calling (301) 977-2440, so call now.