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Faddy Eating, Selective Eating and Food Refusal 143
Activity above this age can also be at risk. As children get
older, they put fewer non-edible items into their
Identify the high-iron and high-vitamin C foods mouths but food risks are present at any age.
within each of the meals above.
To minimize the risk:
Vegan diets
●● children should not run around or play while
Vegan diets are not recommended for young eating, and all mealtimes and snacks should be
children as they are unlikely to provide all the supervised
energy and nutrients required in adequate
amounts, particularly if the child is a faddy eater ●● young children should be seated and in a calm
or has a small appetite. These children may not be atmosphere when eating
able to eat enough vegan food, which is bulky and
high in fibre, to obtain all the energy (calories) ●● foods should be cut into small lengths rather
and nutrients they need for growth and than round pieces
development.
●● stones and pips should be removed
A child on a vegan diet should always be referred ●● soft round foods such as grapes and cherries
to a dietitian for assessment to ensure that the
foods consumed by the child contain all the should be cut into halves or quarters.
essential nutrients. Vegan mothers who are
breastfeeding should also have their diets assessed The foods frequently implicated in choking
as they may need a supplement of calcium, vitamins incidents are:
D and B12.
●● sweets
Dental Health ●● popcorn
●● grapes and cherries
Under-fives are particularly vulnerable to dental ●● hard fruit
decay (caries) which is the breakdown and wearing ●● hard vegetables – especially peas, celery, carrots
away of enamel. Dental care principles and tooth ●● hot dogs/sausages
brushing discussed in Chapter 5.2 are particularly ●● burgers
important for this age group. When any of the first ●● chunks of cheese
teeth have to be extracted it increases the likelihood ●● meatballs
of overcrowding when the adult teeth come ●● whole nuts and seeds.
through.
Faddy Eating, Selective Eating
Food Safety and Food Refusal
Under-fives are still susceptible to food poisoning Young children do not eat well when they are:
and can become very ill quickly so great care
should be taken with food hygiene. Eggs, meat, fish ●● tired
and shellfish should all be well cooked. ●● over hungry – they will just feel unhappy
Choking without realizing that if they eat they would feel
better
Children under 3 years are more at risk from ●● distracted by TV, games, new environment
choking than older children, however, children ●● not feeling well – teething, sore throat, getting a
cold
●● anxious, worried, scared, rushed, sad.
