Picky Eaters – 10 Things You Can Do to Get Them Eating
By Ai Lian Lim
It’s quite stressful when you have a picky eater at home, don’t you agree? Everyday you crack your head thinking what you can cook that they will eat. The meal battles are no joy either. Having little children that are picky eaters is not unusual. Many parents have the same headache. I’ve been told that the fussiness over food will disappear when the children get older. I’m sure sitting around and waiting for it to end is not the solution you are looking for. So, take a look at some of the ideas below:
1. Ask for their input when planning your meals and get them involved in the grocery shopping. If you give them the chance to write the dinner menu, you increase the likelihood that they will eat it.
2. Be careful of the snacks they eat before meals. If they have a snack close to meal time, it’s likely they won’t eat their meal. Watch the drinks too. Even juice and milk can fill up your kid’s tiny stomachs.
3. Avoid giving them too much at the first serving. Start with a small portions and if it’s not enough, serve them seconds. When you do this, they are not intimidated by the food.
4. Let your picky eaters be kitchen helpers when you are cooking. The fact that they helped to cook it, motivates them to want to eat it. For instance, while preparing dinner, I persuaded my daughter who is 7 years old to help me chop up the broccoli and cauliflower. And you know what? She eagerly put them on her plate and finished it and we’re talking about a girl who straight out refused them before.
5. Offer them several different foods to choose from. Allow them to make a selection. You can ask them if they want spinach or green beans, french toast or scrambled eggs, etc….
6. Make sure your snacks have some nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables are simply the best. Prepare them as finger foods like carrot sticks and dip.
7. Point out what other children eat, especially their friends. I’m sure you’ve learned that with children, other people’s food always taste better. Their friends could be eating something they’ve never had before but they are willing to try. Maybe you should consider inviting your children’s friends over more often. If you do this, make a pact with the parents first that only healthy food will be served.
8. Sometimes it’s not the taste that is the problem but rather the texture of the food. You should come up with alternative ways to prepare the food such as grinding it up in a blender or food processor.
9. Don’t label them a picky eater. Hearing you make a big deal of it all the time may encourage them to play out the role.
10. Don’t prepare separate meals just for them. Give them a choice but don’t go out of your way to cook them something different from the rest of the family. If you give in to their demands, you’ll never get them expand their list of like-able foods.
One important trait you need in order to deal with picky eaters is patience. The most important thing you must do, and also the hardest, is to let go of the power struggle during meal times. List down rules and adhere to it. It would make your life easier if you had countless easy recipes for picky eaters at your fingertips. It definitely helps to get a little creative in preparing meals.
Head over to http://mamasbagoftricks.blogspot.com – where Lian reveals many parenting tips and tricks. You’ll not only enjoy the reading but will also learn a thing or two for example, how to make sausage rolls (http://mamasbagoftricks.blogspot.com/2008/10/sausage-rolls.html). You’ll find info on kids to cooking and also ideas on making money from home. Hop over to her blog now and become her new found friend.
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