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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
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Health & F tness
B A LT I M O R E J E W I S H H O M E . C O M
THE BALTIMORE JEWISH HOME
SEPTEMBER 2, 2021
Top Tips for Picky Eaters By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN
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eing a parent of a picky eater can be a difficult job. As parents, we want to feed our children nutritious foods that will aid in their growth and development. Unfortunately, picky eating can sometimes affect that goal. Understand that you aren’t alone; some 50% of parents consider their preschool children to be picky eaters. It certainly can be challenging to deal with children who refuse to eat many foods, especially when you don’t know how to safely and effectively expand your child’s food preferences. There are many tips and tricks experts have gathered over the years to help diversify your child’s food preferences. The most important idea to note is that you are a role model for your child when it comes to food. You may not realize this, but your food choices directly affect your child’s choices. Children often want to eat exactly what their parents eat. So, if you are eating plain pasta, your child will gravitate towards plain pasta. If you have a plate with protein, different vegetables, and starch, your child may want to eat what you’re eating. Children love to mimic what adults do, so be cognizant that your food choices are aligned with the foods you want your child to eat. When you eat healthy, nutritious foods, you are directly impacting your child’s confidence to try and do the same. Parents are a child’s guide to food preferences because they watch your eating behaviors. If you eat your meals standing, your child processes it and believes the right way to eat is to eat standing. Show your child that you sit down for a
meal, undistracted by your phone or toys, and your child may want to do the same. 1. Make food fun. If mealtime is filled with pressure and frustration, your child will sense that. Making mealtime fun and exciting is key when dealing with picky eaters. It will be frustrating when your child plays with their food and makes a mess instead of eating. However, this is the way many children explore food so you may have to try and overlook the mess. A great way to make mealtime fun is to cut foods into different shapes. Although this may be time-consuming, know that it won’t be forever. For the first few weeks of introducing new foods, take the extra time to make it interesting for your kids. Cut cucumbers into little star shapes and form chicken patties into heart shapes. This can help distract your kids from what they are eating and help them get used to different flavors and textures. 2. Include your kids in cook-
ing. Although this may sound like a daunting task, start by including your child in your cooking once a week. Maybe choose Sunday night dinner when things are calmer or bring them to the grocery store on a day when you need to pick up a few items. You can make it very fun by buying a chef costume or an apron for them to include them in the process. Give them safe tasks like washing and drying vegetables or sprinkling on different spices. This can be beneficial because research has shown that children who are included in meal preparation are more likely to consume vegetables than children that aren’t. 3. Know that you are the one in charge. As a parent, you have the power to make the right decisions for your child. Although children may try to convince you to do things, know that you make the ultimate decision. When it comes to picky eaters, parents have to stand their ground. This means that if your picky eater demands a differ-
ent meal than their siblings, you say, “This is what your mommy or daddy made for dinner for everyone, and if you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it.” Tell them that when they become a mommy or daddy, they get to decide what is for dinner for their kids. This may sound harsh but you are doing your child more harm than good each time you give in. This usually takes a few nights of going to bed without eating dinner (don’t worry – your child isn’t hungry) to get them to eat what you give them. The wrong way to go about this is to make a dinner that contains only foods they never tried. Instead, the meal should contain one new food and a food item you know your child likes. 4. There shouldn’t be any distractions during mealtime. It can be tempting to put on a video for your child when they eat so that you can get other things done in the meantime. However, this isn’t a good habit for picky eaters. Explain to them that, during mealtime, we have to be fully focused on eating and we cannot do that if we are playing games or watching TV. Lead by example, and show your children that when you eat dinner, you aren’t on your phone or doing anything aside from eating. 5. Don’t force your child to eat. Food should never be used as a reward or punishment. If your child doesn’t want to eat, don’t force them. Research shows that pressuring children to eat can cause your child to eat less and increase pickiness. Explain to them that they can choose not to eat, but if they are hungry later, the kitchen will be closed. This way, your child will have a valid reason for why they should choose to eat now. Be patient
