Question

Question

Hi mummies!I am a mummy to a 19 month old girl who was recently diagnosed with iron deficiency anaemia. Her recent blood test showed her iron levels to be really low with blood levels just slightly under the normal range. The pd prescribed her with oral iron replacements for 3 months after which we are to return for another round of blood tests.But here’s the thing, my girl have always been a very picky eater. But i am starting think she might have developed food aversion cos she turns away from her spoon and bowl every time its dinner time. She eats biscuits and anything hard really but she rejects soups, porridge or anything soft or mushy. I have tried to let her get used to the texture at her own speed but she keeps pushing the bowl away. She needs her iron from her meals but I can’t seem to engage her in to getting interested in food.Help?

Jacqueline Mong · Accepted Answer

Not sure if it helps but here are my suggestions. 1. Try making mealtimes interesting for her like plating the foods in cute cartoons 2. Get her involved in food preparation 3. Have meal together as a family

Nalika Unantenne · Answer

My kids are fussy eaters too. When they were smaller, what really helped was to let them assist (when safe) with food preparation. Also when they were bigger, I would tell them what each nutrient did for their bodies and how they helped (e.g. iron makes you strong and gives you super powers!). Another tip is to 'hide' nutrients in your child's food. So, add chopped spinach (for iron) to her rice, or mix it through a savoury pancake batter (or in whatever she does like to eat). Hope this helps!