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