Fussy eating is a common problem for young children, with 75% of toddlers affected to some extent. Reports suggest the problem has increased in recent years due to more choices of food available, the rise of fast food and a lack of knowledge about where food comes from. 

For parents of fussy eaters, mealtimes can seem like a daily battle. When it comes to taking your child to nursery, you may also be concerned about whether they will eat their food or not. 

At Little Angels, we’ve had plenty of experience with young children and know how to feed fussy eaters. Here’s our approach, as well as some tips you may also want to try at home. 

• Encourage them to learn by example

When children are introduced to the nursery environment, it may be the first time they are surrounded by many other children at mealtimes. This can have a real positive influence on them when they see their peers enjoying food and trying new things.

At Little Angels, food is served at the table to encourage eating together as a community and reinforces the enjoyment of sharing a meal with others. At home, it can be hard to get the whole family together for mealtimes but should be encouraged, as can have a real impact. 

• Educate them about food 

One of the best ways to help fussy eaters is to educate them about the food they are eating and how to make healthy choices. This will both encourage them to engage with food and become more familiar with it. 

At Little Angels, we do just that. By providing daily nutritious meals and teaching them about food, your child will learn the benefits of eating healthily with us. Copies of our menus can be obtained from our team or through the Famly App so you can feed your child the meals they enjoy at home too. 

• Make food enjoyable 

Another effective way of helping fussy eaters is by making food enjoyable and interactive. This can be done by getting them involved in preparing and cooking food. We offer cooking lessons for all our pre-school nursery children, which helps them to foster their creativity, have fun and explore new flavours. Planning some fun baking or cooking sessions at home is a great way to give them the confidence to try new things and provide a sense of achievement. 

Little Angels 24/7

We are a network of family-run, home away from home settings where children can spread their wings and develop into wonderful little individuals. 

Little Angels offers exceptional premises, highly qualified staff, relentless dedication to the children in our care and passion for early years development.

If you’re interested in finding out more, don’t hesitate to get in touch or book a tour with us, either through video or in-person.