Why Do Fussy Eaters Love Chicken Nuggets and Fish Fingers?

If you have a "fussy eating" older kid, it can be hard to know what to do when your youngest family member is starting solids. Can you offer your baby fish fingers or chicken nuggets too? You definitely can, but ideally you want to steer clear from store bought as a regular part of a babies diet. Commercial options are often high in salt, saturated fat and some don't actually have much meat (usually less than 50% chicken). We have created baby friendly home-made fish finger and chicken nugget recipes that have no added salt, pack in a lot more protein and even some veggies. So, whether they are 6 months or 6 years old these baby friendly versions of fast food favourites are a quick and easy option for whole the family. You can find them in the recipe library.

But let's chat fussy eating and why the humble fish finger is so appealing!

Like its cousin the chicken nugget, fish fingers are a food that most kids seem to like consistently. If you are a parent of a fussy eater, it can be particularly hard to get them to eat anything else and sometimes a nugget or fish finger is the only form of meat (or food) your kid will eat.

But let's have a think about why this might be the case…for some kids, especially fussy eaters, processed bite sized white meats like nuggets are:

• familiar
• feel safe and predictable
• always have the same taste and texture
• fun size to eat
• require minimal chewing, unlike other meats that can be more work for little jaws.

If you think about a fish finger compared to a blueberry, fish fingers are the same no matter what. Blueberries on the other hand are different sizes, some are sweet and some are sour and from the outside you can't tell what you will get. Some kids are also just more sensitive to sensory changes in colour, texture, taste and smell. For these kids it can take a really long time to accept new foods.

So if your little one enjoys a fish finger or a nugget, think about slowly mixing it up and introducing small changes like:

• buying a different brand
• making them at home so you can change the shape, texture or flavour. You might serve the homemade alongside store bought to start with.
• adding herbs or using a different crumb.
• If homemade adding in some vegetables. You might start with blending, then mashing then having chunks in there over time. Serving the whole vegetable on the side as well is a good idea. Avoid hiding veg from picky eaters, instead show them what you're doing or explain that you're blending in the vegetables, as this is another opportunity to show them that they can enjoy veggies!

If you're cooking them at home, show them how you make them and start to get them involved. Even a 12-month-old can watch you put some food into the food processor and "help" you turn the button on. Or pop them on the ground with a mixing bowl and a spoon and narrate what you are doing in the kitchen. For older kids getting them to help prepare the meal or set the table is great. The sooner we get kids involved in all aspects of the meal, not just the eating part, the better. Touching, looking, smelling, preparing or even unpacking groceries are all food exposures and can help our little ones feel more comfortable with new foods.

Remember, it is all about the long game! The goal is to help our little ones to feel safe and comfortable trying new foods. Of course, you can pressure, bribe or hide veggies to get them to eat more in that moment, but that isn't helping them in the long haul. Change can take time so be kind to yourself and take the pressure off yourself and your little eater.

If you are dealing with some fussy eating tendencies at home and would like some one on on guidance from our dietitians pop over to the link below and book in a consultation. We offer these via telehealth anywhere in Australia.

Consultations