Are you going crazy with your picky eater at home? Everyday you crack your head thinking what you can cook that they will eat. The meal battles are no joy either. It is really not uncommon for families with young children to have picky eaters. Many parents share the same predicament. They say most of these children will eventually outgrow it. I'm sure sitting around and waiting for it to end is not the solution you are looking for. So here are some suggestions for you:
1. Ask for their input when planning your meals and get them involved in the grocery shopping. You increase the odds of them eating what you cook when you give them the opportunity to decide what they family eats.
2. Watch the before-meal snacks. 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 our kid's tiny stomachs.
3. Don't pile their plates with too much food. Start with a small portions and if it's not enough, serve them seconds. Doing so, you create opportunities for them to finish their meal and they feel good when they do so.
4. Get them to help you prepare the meal. If they helped make it, they'll be proud 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. Give them a choice of foods to eat. Make them feel the decision is in their hands. You should say "do you want pasta or sandwich", "fruit salad or vegetable salad" etc....
6. Make sure your snacks have some nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables are ideal. Turn them into finger foods that the kids can enjoy such as fruit kebab.
7. Bring to their attention what foods other children are eating, more so what their friends are eating. I used to joke with my friend that we should exchange food because our children seem to prefer the other person's food. Your picky eater is more likely to try something their buddies are eating even if its something new or different. It would seem like a good idea to get your children's friends together for a picnic sort of activity. Of course, make sure you team up with the parents first so there's no junk food.
8. Often times the problem lies with the food's texture and not the taste. 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. If they hear you say it all the time, they may just accept that to be who they are.
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 to expand their list of like-able foods.
One important trait you need to have in order to deal with picky eaters is patience. It's not easy but it's vital you stop the meal time battles. List down rules and adhere to it. One thing that will also help is to search out easy recipes for picky eaters. Some creativity in meal preparation won't hurt.
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