Mealtime can be frustrating
when you have a child who is very picky about the foods that they will
eat. I wanted to share with you some
strategies or things you can be doing at home to help with some of those Picky
Eating behaviors.
1. Schedule meal and snack times -Be consistent
with when you eat and limit snacks or juices.
If your child is snacking all day, they won’t be hungry.
2. Let your child help plan and
prepare meals –
Children love to feel like they are contributing, and preparation builds an
appetite and teaches responsibility. Even young kids can help with
stirring or adding ingredients.
3. Make Food Fun – Present food in
new and exciting ways: pizza with a face out of pepperoni and vegetables, ants
on a log, etc. There are also several fun placemats and plates like the one pictured above,
that make eating into a game.
4. Food Play: If your child is very
resistant to try a certain food, allowing them to do some food play, where the
goal is interacting with the food, not necessarily eating it, may help. Using carrot sticks to stir soup or use
ketchup to ‘paint’ with the broccoli
5. Offer them choices. Rather
than ask, “Do you want broccoli for dinner?” ask “Which would you like for
dinner, broccoli or green beans?” This
allows them to have a little bit of control over the food choice.
6. Tasting plate: Offer
the same foods for the whole family. Pass it around and let everyone take one or two things
to try. Talk about the colors, shapes, and textures on the plate. The more kids are exposed and understand, the
more willing they will be to try.
7. Exposure: Keep exposing them to the foods, don’t just try once and stop. The more familiar they are with seeing the food, the more willing they are to try it. Also, be sure to set realistic expectations. They won’t eat ½ cup of peas, but if they eat 5 it is a step in the right direction!
A great
resource for more information on healthy balanced meals, recipes, and
activities for kids and adults is www.choosemyplate.org
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