Restrictive Eating

Restrictive Eating

Fussy Eating is complex.

Developing a taste for a varied, healthy diet is something that needs to be learnt

There’s no need to be too concerned if your child is eating foods from each of the main food groups, and if they're growing well.

Get advice if they are:

accepting fewer than 20 foods
refusing all foods from one or more food groups
constipated – constipation can have a huge impact on appetite and may require medication
suffering from tooth decay as a result of their diet
losing weight or not growing well
gaining weight excessively
displaying behaviour, eg tiredness or pica (eating non-edible items) that might indicate a vitamin or mineral deficiency (eg iron deficiency anaemia)
missing school due to eating problems
coughing and choking while eating, or has recurrent chest infections, especially if they have developmental delay or physical disabilities
missing out on social opportunities, eg if they and their family can rarely go out due to the eating problems.