Is Your Child a Fussy Eater?

Unfortunately most kids go through phases of Fussy Eating especially as the development grows with their words and movements, they can become more and more boisterous about what they do and don’t want to have on their plate.  So why does this actually happen?

A lot of people are quick to assume that fussy eating is a result of developmental issues or that their child is on the “spectrum” to some degree, however, research is showing more and more that there is a strong link between fussy eating and gut health, with some studies suggesting that around 42% of cases involve Gastrointestinal disturbances to some degree. It is believed that these underlying gut issues can trigger an avoidance to certain foods either due to pain or discomfort or even taste.  These underlying issues may include:

💩     Food allergies or intolerances

💩     Coeliac disease

💩     Bacterial overgrowth

💩     Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD)

💩     Eosinophilic oesophagitis

💩    Constipation

💩    Diarrhoea

💩    Gastroparesis

As Naturopaths, we also understand the role of the microbiome in the gut and influences that can occur to our tastebuds when we have an imbalance in our microbiota. When this imbalance of bacteria occurs when can see children (or adults) leaning more towards sugary, bland and refined foods as opposed to wholefoods which they are more likely to have an aversion to. As a result of any type of gut issue there is potential for it to lead to:

😰     Refusal of foods

😰    Reduced appetite

😰     Oral hypersensitivity

😰     Choking or gagging

😰     Delayed oral motor skills

😰     Unhealthy relationship with food

😰     Affects with speech and development

The other thing we need to consider is that just like our behaviours, our oral microbiome and gut microbiome also tends to be passed through the family, this is because most of the time everyone in the family will eat the same foods, therefore we attract and grow the microbiome for those types of foods. The composition of our gut microbiome also attracts our food preferences, therefore, if you, the parent is leaning more toward sugary, refined foods or starchy foods, then the kids will also lean toward the same unhealthy foods.  Kid’s learn from us as parents, if they see that their mother, father or grandparent doesn’t like a food than they are more likely not going to like it or want to try it. As parents or grandparents we need to lead by example for kids to help encourage more diversity in their diet. The more diversity of plant based foods such as fruit and vegetables in a child’s (or your) diet, the healthier the colonies of bacteria present and the healthier you and your child’s gut will be. We often see that when we begin to improve gut health in children and they microbiome changes so does the foods they “crave” or are more willing to try. 

Who would have thought that fussy eater quite possibly actually came down to a whole family affair!