Issues Related to Children’s Eating Habits

Ayurveda for a healthy life- 68/2026 on 16.1.2026

2.     Why do most mothers coax their children to eat more ?

Every mother wishes to have a chubby child. She always compares her child with other children. The more the milk and food consumed by the child, the happier is the mother. If the child refuses to drink milk, she is worried about the health of her child. Therefore, she may coax him to eat a mouthful each, for the sake of his grandfather, brother, uncle, etc. or she may threaten the child that if he does not eat, the policeman will take him away or she may bribe the child by giving toys, sweets, etc. Despite the use of incentives if the child refuses to eat, she forces the child to eat.

3.     How to create an interest in a child to eat ?

The mother should encourage the child to eat by himself. Even if he spills the food and spoils his clothes, she should not mind it. She should not compare the food intake of her child with that of other children. She should remember that like adults, children’s appetite too varies from meal to meal and from one child to another. Commenting on a child’s school progress or his mischief or indisciplined behaviour should be avoided during meals. Never force a child to eat. A person who was forced to eat fruits daily during his childhood had developed a permanent aversion towards fruits as a result of compulsion.

Regular exercise, play and swimming improve appetite. Therefore, children should be encouraged to play outdoor games regularly. Food should be delicious, warm and served in an attractive manner with love and affection.

4.     How to get rid of the habit of some children of eating only when fed by the mother ?

Once the child gets habituated to eating only when coaxed by the mother, the child refuses to eat by himself. He enjoys the immense attention given to his eating by all the family members.

Making such children eat by themselves cannot be achieved in a day or two. He should be explained that now he is no more an infant and those grown-up children eat by themselves. From the next day, he should be asked to eat his food by himself preferably in the company of the family members at the time of the regular meals. If he finishes only one food item, it should be served again. After 10-15 minutes, the dish should be taken away from him without discussion about how much he has eaten and how much he has not. He should not be given any food in between the regular meals.

Once you start this regime most of the children go on a strike, i.e. they refuse to eat food at the regular meal times. However, if the mother does not become tense and ignores the child’s refusal to eat, the child slowly starts eating by himself over a period of 4 to 5 weeks.

5.     Should a child be allowed to eat a stomachful of his favourite dish ?

Children like all of us, have some favourite dish and dislike certain other dishes. It is not uncommon to see that a child eats a stomachful of an item such as cakes, wafers and does not eat any other food on one day. The mother naturally is worried that her child may not get a balanced diet. However, the next day the child may not wish to eat cake and may eat some other food item such as vada. If you carefully observe a child’s eating habits, you will realise that the child’s diet is a balanced one, if one takes into consideration his diet over a period of 5 to 7 days. It is a common experience of all of us that if we eat a stomachful of a particular dish, e.g. sweets on one day, the next day we do not wish to eat it despite it being our favourite dish and prefer some other dish to it. This is natural because so long as the tissues of the body are saturated with the ingredients of one food item, it rejects those items till the absorbed products are completely digested and utilised. Thus, if the total food intake of the child appears to be a balanced one over a period of 5 to 7 days, the mother need not worry.

6.     How much importance should be given to a child’s likes and dislikes regarding food ?

In general, the natural likes and dislikes of children, especially of infants are determined by constitution, e.g. a lean child usually likes butter, ghee and eggs, whereas a plump child usually likes pungent and spicy food items. These natural desires are conducive to health and should not be unnecessarily tampered with by parents. On the other hand, in some children and adults many likes are acquired, e.g, a person with peptic ulcer craves for spicy food as he has developed a taste for it, though he is very well aware that this food would increase acidity and pain in the stomach. Such likes ought to be curbed.

7.     Why do most children appear lean and thin ?

The individual constitution varies a lot. Some children are fat while others are lean and thin. In addition, it is important to keep in mind the growth of fatty tissue with relation to age. All infants are chubby between the ages of 6 months to one year. At birth, body fat amounts to 12% whereas at 6 months it amounts to 30% of the total body weight. After 12 months when the child starts walking, he continues to lose fat and throughout the childhood most of the children remain lean and thin. At 10 years of age, fat comprises 15% of the body weight. During adolescence, children start gaining fat. Normally an 18-year-old girl would have fat content to the extent of 20-25% of her body weight. Most of us would affirm that we too were lean and thin as children.

Children appear lean and thin but when they are active and playing and if we follow suit, we will get exhausted in no time. This proves that children are more energetic and have all the strength and stamina required for their activity. What they lack in reality is the pads of fat and not the strength or stamina. One should be able to differentiate between physical weakness and lean and thinness of the body.