tips to ease mealtime madness finicky foodie…

story by | kari klingsporn hitterdal

Ismile as I think back to the memories of the fall of 2002. It was a time of change for my family, although I didn’t realize at the time the change included not just the addition of a new baby to our current family of three, but also an entire rebirth of the way our family ate.

Food has always been a huge part of life for my husband and me, but at that point we had more or less left our son out of our food adventures. Our then three-year-old wasn’t necessarily a picky eater, but we had fallen into the habit of preparing him separate, albeit nutritious, meals that we knew he liked while the adults had, well, “adult food.”

Then one night while considering the next family meal[s] and in full pregnant glory, I had a shocking revelation: what if my son and the new baby [and any future kiddos for that matter] didn’t like to eat the same things and I was destined to be a short-order cook?

Suddenly I wanted to do everything in my power to avoid that situation and picky eaters. So I did the only rational thing I could think of - I ordered Indian takeout. Without making a big deal, I dished up a serving for my son and eyed him nervously as he took his first bite of chicken tikka masala. And guess what? He not only ate it, but loved it!

There are endless stories of finicky-kid eating habits shared among moms everywhere, searching for tips from friends about how to get kids to eat something other than chicken nuggets. I have done lengthy research on the subject over the years, spent hours swapping tips and tactics with friends, and have helpful, first-hand experience dealing with mealtime madness. Here are a few tips to help avoid finicky foodies and/or help your family with a picky eater.

Be Flexible

Rather than being that short-order cook, consider modifying meals. For example, some kids might not like strong flavors. Instead of making something completely different, alter the recipe a bit for their portion and after serving their portion add the remaining flavoring for the rest of the batch. By tweaking the regular recipe, everybody wins.

Also, allow some space for choices. I try to give our kids options at mealtime. For example, if I’m serving grilled chicken, salad, roasted potatoes, and sautéed spinach, they must choose at least three of the items to put on their plate, and one has to be either the salad or spinach. I encourage them to choose well-balanced meals by reminding them how important their food choices are in keeping their bodies well fueled and healthy. Having these choices offers a sense of freedom, as well as pride in being responsible for their own well-being.

Make It Fun

Meals should be a time for families to connect. Make mealtime fun and creative by encouraging your family to get involved in the recipe selection and preparation. Perhaps cut up the food in fun shapes, plant a garden, talk about the bright veggie colors with the younger kids and serve new foods along with their favorites. Allow each kiddo to pick the meal one night during the week – with some stipulations, of course. I have a friend who allows her daughter to put ketchup on EVERYTHING! I think this tactic is great! If putting a little ketchup on whatever is being served for dinner gets her daughter to try and maybe even like a new food…I say go for it!

Set A Good Example

I remember several years back hosting a dinner party with some friends. The conversation turned to dealing