Feeding a child who is a picky eater can make any mealtime a struggle. Parents want their children to eat healthfully, but often children either refuse or fight eating the healthy food given to them. Some tips that may help when feeding a picky eater are taking charge as a parent, making mealtime more fun, and making sure children are able to eat the food given to them.
All parents need to establish their role as the parent to their children. This is done by being gentle, but firm during mealtime. Each parent has the responsibility of deciding what food their children should eat, where they eat it, and when they eat it. This doesn’t mean that children can’t have a say or be offered choices at mealtime. Children can decide whether they would like to eat the healthy options presented to them or to not eat them. Picky eaters can also be encouraged to eat more foods by being allowed to decide how much they would like to eat of a healthy food. Allowing children to have some say in the meal can help give them the independence they need, while also making sure they eat properly.
Making mealtime fun can also help mealtime less of a struggle with a picky eater. Parents can assign different types of food, fun and different names to make mealtime more exciting. For example, calling a piece of broccoli a “tree,” baby carrots “orange swords,” or applesauce “fairy pudding” can make trying new foods an adventure. Parents should involve children by encouraging their children to come up with their own names as well.
Children can also be enticed to eat by making meals fun with cookie cutters. Use large cookie cutters to cut healthy sandwiches into fun shapes. Small cookie cutters can be used to cut slices of cheese, apples, and bananas into a variety of shapes. In addition to cookie cutters, children can have fun with meals with the presentation. Presenting the meal in a fun way can help children to want to eat. Use different fruits, vegetables, pasta, and cheeses to make silly faces, animals, and vehicles. Sometimes appropriate “playing with food” is all it takes to get a picky eater to try new things.
Cutting up fruits, vegetables, and cheese into bite-size portions will also help when feeding picky eaters. Children often feel overwhelmed when they see a large vegetable on their plates. By cutting up the food, it can make the task of eating the food seem manageable to children. Making sure that children are given proper portions of food can also help coax a picky eater to eat. Children can’t eat as much as adults, and should be given smaller portions. Small pieces and proper portions will help eliminate many battles over food.
Dinner time doesn’t have to be a battle. Stop the fighting and whining by using these tips to help your picky eater eat their healthy food by being a responsible parent, making meals fun, and ensuring that foods are appropriately-sized.