You whip up delicious, nutritious meals, but your child only eats hot dogs. You put new food in front of them all the time, but they won’t touch anything but mac and cheese. You try cajoling, tempting, and non-food rewards. But still, your child will only eat pizza.
You know such eating habits aren’t healthy, so what’s a parent to do?
Relax
It’s normal for kids to be picky about what they eat, and there’s no one reason why they may be so. Scientists have studied the phenomenon in search of a single, strong factor that might influence such dietary quirks, to no avail. It may be an innately temperamental issue, or the child is testing a parent’s authoritative limits. Or perhaps your child is simply a “super taster,” among the 25% of the population that experiences tastes more intensely than the rest of us. For a young child, that can be very disconcerting.
One thing is for sure: A parent’s anxiety about issues of diet and food can affect a child’s relationship to eating. Attempting to punish, scold, or apply strict dietary regimes generally backfire. It’s healthier, in the long run, to model a positive relationship with food.
Let’s Play
Generally, you don’t want your kids to squish their peas onto the plate. But, for younger children, a little familiarity can go a long way. If they’re busy shoving a stem of broccoli into the mashed potatoes to make a tree, maybe they’ll eventually bring it to their mouth. Or lick a little off their fingers. Especially if they see you eating your vegetables, too.
Grow A Garden
There’s an element to magic in watching things grow. Perhaps your child won’t eat the baby carrot that comes out of the plastic bag, but if he has watched carrots grow in the backyard, and then gets to pull the result out of the ground, he may be inspired to wash it off with a hose and take a crunchy bite.
Consistency Rules
They may not eat the vegetables on their plate, but you should still continue to serve them, just as you serve everyone else in the family. Just give them less, even if it’s only three peas, or a couple of slivers of carrot. A child may try something a dozen times before he or she tolerates it, so keep at it in a calm and deliberate manner.
Variety Is The Spice Of Life
Not everyone is going to love goopy cooked spinach, but they may like the fresh, crisp taste of raw sugar peas in the pod. Jicama has a very mild taste, but it’s crunchy and fresh. Continually introduce new vegetables, fruits, dips, spreads, etc., in small amounts, in constant rotation.
Start Small
As the parent of a fussy child, you know that a single pea can be a victory. Don’t overwhelm their plate with foods they dislike, but do make sure there’s some little new thing every day.
Appetite Is The Best Sauce
If your child is snacking all day, he or she may not be hungry enough at mealtime to bother with unfamiliar or “suspicious” foods. Scale back on juices and snacks a couple of hours before mealtime so they’ll have an appetite for what’s for dinner.
Hang Out With Omnivores
Does your child have a friend who is more game to try new things? Invite the friend over for dinner. Perhaps some of that adventurous eating behavior will rub off on your own child.
Some picky eaters lap up the extra attention it gives them, so pay special mind to whether your choosy eater has real food aversions or if he or she is craving the extra tender loving care. With patience and persistence, eventually your child’s diet will expand.
