Picky Eaters

Let’s talk about Picky Eaters.  All children at some point demonstrate some level of pickiness. It’s almost like a rite of passage for 2yr olds. Fortunately, picky eating usually doesn’t last that long if handled right away. When my daughter was two she decided one day that she wasn’t going to eat anything green. Now at age 10 her favorite food is scrambled eggs with spinach in it. So there is hope for your little picky eater.  Most of the time when kids stop eating certain foods it has nothing  to do with the food itself. Knowing the reasons why your child isn’t eating foods they’ve never even tried can help you push through this finicky phase much faster.

 

As humans, we are designed to prefer sweet foods more. This is why sugar is in almost everything we eat. To our bodies, sweet equals survival—think breast milk or baby formula. Children also have more taste buds than adults (we lose them as we age), so the flavor of food is amplified for little ones.

 

While your kids may think that eating animal crackers for every meal is a  great option, as the adults we know it isn't. If you are tired of jumping through hoops to please your picky eaters at meal times, learn tricks and tips to help put an end to the insanity. It may take 10 or even 15 tries before a child will accept a new food but be patient. Keep presenting new foods. Stack the odds in your favor by preparing foods in ways that may make it easier for your child to eat them.  For example roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness. Freezing fruits like green grapes brings all the sugar to the surface of fruit and makes them taste like candy. This makes for a perfect summer treat.

 

Some kids also become picky eaters because they just aren’t hungry as much. After the first year growth levels out a bit and appetite isn’t the driver anymore to eat. I’ve seen kids eat adult size meals one day then the next two days eat like a bird. If you're worried your child isn’t eating enough, don’t. A serving for a young child is a tablespoon per year of age. That’s basically a bite or two of whatever you put on their plate.

 

Use your kid's appetite to your advantage to introduce a new food. At lunch I start the kids off with “strong foods” or foods I think they won’t eat. You can do the same thing at dinner. Start your child off with a couple of bites of the food they're least likely to eat—usually veggies—and save their favorite stuff for last. If they are hungry when they sit down, they'll happily eat whatever is on their plates, getting in the healthy stuff first.

 

Young children often touch or smell new foods. Your child might need repeated exposure to a new food before he or she takes the first bite. So be patient and encourage your child by talking about a food's color, shape, smell and texture — not whether it tastes good.

 

Food Tips:

 

Any fruit is good for your child and most children love fruit because it’s sweet. Fruit  provides essential vitamins, minerals, and it also has fiber, which keeps kids regular.

 

Cocoa

You are probably thinking of the marshmallow decorated beverage, but cocoa powder actually has one of the highest concentrations of flavonoids, a compound known to improve blood pressure and heart and oral health. They may also protect skin from sun damage. Use at least 70 percent pure cocoa and check that it isn't processed with alkali (also called "Dutch processed"), which removes most of the flavonoids. Ways to serve it (beyond hot cocoa): Sprinkle it on pancakes, waffles or French toast, and melt some dark chocolate and dunk strawberries in it.

 

Black Beans

"Beans are a great source of protein, as well as fiber and calcium—two things kids tend not to get enough of. They also help guard against heart disease and high cholesterol, which aren't adult only problems anymore . Ways to get them in your kid's diet: Make nachos or quesadillas with black beans, cheese and salsa or  try black-bean veggie burgers.

 

Eggs

Eggs offer protein, and they're one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. Eating protein at breakfast helps kids feel satisfied longer (no mid-morning hunger pangs).

 

 

 

Serve broccoli and other veggies with a favorite dip or sauce.(Kids will eat anything they can dip) Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters. Offer breakfast foods for dinner. Serve a variety of brightly colored foods.

 

 

Recruit your child's help(Children love to be helpers)

 

 

 

At the grocery store, ask your child to help you select fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. Don't buy anything that you don't want your child to eat. At home, encourage your child to help you rinse veggies, stir batter or set the table.


Creating healthy eating habits early on will go a long way in helping your children make healthier food choices well into adulthood.