1 in 4 parents resort to bribery to feed picky eaters

In a new online poll conducted by the Irish Heart Foundation, 80% of parents admitted it was hard to get their children to eat at mealtimes, with nearly a quarter of parents having to bribe their children to eat their dinner.

The Irish Heart Foundation’s annual September Heart Month is focusing on ‘Healthy Meals Without The Drama’, to help time-strapped parents in County Leitrim cook meals their children will actually eat, supported by practical tips to reduce tension in tricky mealtime situations, as well as essential tips on healthy eating.

Keeping children healthy is the number one priority, and yet a recent poll conducted by the Irish Heart Foundation of parents of 5 to 12-year-olds, found that 78% of parents are concerned that their child’s diet is not healthy and that only 1 in 5 children would choose fruit as a snack.

The latest survey findings have inspired the Irish Heart Foundation’s lifeline to parents - drama-free recipes endorsed by some of the pickiest child eaters in Ireland. Frustrated parents of Ireland freely shared their daily food-dramas with the national heart and stroke charity here:

“Every evening is a drama. It’s either - I don’t like that – or - I’m not hungry - or she just refuses to eat unless it’s plain pasta.”

“They have cry tantrums and run upstairs from simple things like a vegetable or roast chicken.”

Tips to reduce drama at mealtimes:

1. It’s not a war – ‘No’ is often an attempt to get attention, so don’t panic!
2. Shopping strategies – only buy the food you want them to eat.
3. Food is not a reward – when they are hungry, try offering them healthy snacks.
4. Food is not a bribe – offering the promise of sweets after eating dinner sets children up to view sweets as a ‘prize’.
5. The Do’s and Don’ts of mealtimes – always praise your children for trying something new!
6. Trying (and retrying) new foods – it can take up to 10 times for children to try something new – keep offering it.
7. Peer pressure works! – invite a friend with a big appetite to join for dinner...
8. Knowing when they’re full – helping your child know when they’re full helps them regulate their own appetite.
9. Staying calm and relaxed – keep mealtimes as relaxed as possible, and always away from the TV!
10. Know the triggers! – look for the pattern to why your child looks for unhealthy food.
     

*The National Children’s Food Survey, conducted by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance in 2005, found that many Irish children are consuming large amounts of foods high in fat, salt and sugar.

Here is what the research found:

• 37% of children eat sweets every day (or more often)
• 21% drink sugary soft drinks every day (or more often)
• 20% of children’s energy intake comes from sweets, snacks and biscuits
• 20% of children in Ireland eat fruit and vegetables more than once a day