10 Tips For Feeding a Picky Eater

Being a parent, or caregiver, is a very important job. You are responsible for the growth and development of another living human being. As rewarding as this can be, there can, also, be challenges that feel like they’re dragging down any major progress you might be making. One of the most common, and frustrating, challenges you will likely face is picky eating during meal times. No one expects a small child to have a refined pallet already, so you know you won’t be eating caviar together with your preschooler while watching “Paw Patrol” any time soon. But wouldn’t things just be easier if you had more than two acceptable meals on your menu? Luckily, there are a few fairly simple tricks that can help you introduce a new world of flavor to the picky eater in your life.

1. Avoid Forbidden Fruit 

A common mistake many people make when working with picky eaters is banning certain foods altogether. Usually it’s sweets or other foods that lack nutritional value. This restriction seems great, in theory. But upon further thought, it seems obvious why this doesn’t work. Humans naturally want what they aren’t supposed to have. If you tell your child they aren’t allowed to have certain foods, they will likely grow to desire it more. It is recommended, instead, that you help your child learn to limit their intake of these foods, instead. Doing this will not only help you gain credibility as someone who knows about what foods are good, but will also help teach your kids the skills they will need to make more informed decisions, concerning food, when they grow up.

2. Don’t Force It

When you’re trying to show your child the importance of a balanced diet, or when you just want them to try a new meal you know they’ll love, it can get frustrating to see them refuse. Especially when you’ve spent so much time and effort just to prepare something special for them. You have to remember, however, that humans are also naturally resistant to being forced into things. It’s common place in many households to make sure a child eats everything on their plate before they are allowed to leave. These requirements can actually be harmful to the overall goal by creating stress on mealtimes. A child could become weary of all foods and become less receptive to all future attempts. Encouragement is good, but, ultimately, it will be more beneficial if your child tries the food by choice.

3. Serve Less

Sometimes, parents are their own worst enemies. You want to make sure your child is eating enough. So, of course, you want to make sure you’re giving them enough to eat. What people forget, though, is that children have much smaller stomachs than adults. You should serve your child less food than you think they will eat. Sometimes, when a person thinks a task is insurmountable they will simply choose not to try. Children are no exception. Often times when a child sees a plate full of food they don’t feel confident in finishing, they get discouraged and stop trying preemptively. It will feel much more rewarding to both of you, when your little one asks for seconds, instead of leaving an entire plate untouched. 

4. Have a Shopping Buddy

Some care-givers have no choice but to take their children shopping with them. Some, do it occasionally. Though it might seem overwhelming to bring young ones with you to the supermarket, it could be helpful to include them in this process. You will find that it is much easier to plan meals your kids will eat, if they are there to help you choose. Take your children through the produce aisles and talk about all of the fruits and vegetables. If there are samples, let them try some. Including your children in this process will allow you to communicate expectations with your child while also giving them some say. People are more willing to contribute to a project when they are involved in the planning.

5. Have a Cooking Buddy

Sometimes you just can’t take your kids with you to buy groceries. We live in a busy world. Another way to get your children involved is during the cooking process. Obviously, you don’t want to have your four year old reaching into the oven to baste a turkey, but you can have them help in other ways. Many foods are great for individual preparation. Consider making personal pan pizzas  or tacos one night so your kids can try the fresh toppings and fillings and choose what they want  in the final product. Some parents will have a salad with every dinner. Take this opportunity to have your children experiment with different vegetables by allowing them to choose what goes in their salad each day. Your kids will feel as though they made their meal and will feel a sense of pride toward it.

6. Look to the Rainbow

Kids love colors. There’s a reason it’s one of the first things they learn. Luckily, food, especially produce, comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Try to challenge your child to find a healthy food they like in every color. Children love a challenge. Especially when it’s almost entirely within their control. You could even offer to make them a meal utilizing everything they’ve chosen, once they’ve found something in every color. The meal your children create could end up seeming strange to you as an adult, but you will know it will be nutritious and something they will enjoy.

7. Change the Color, Yourself

The next tip isn’t as nutritionally friendly as many of the others. But, if all else fails, sometimes you can change the physical appearance of foods to something your kids can be excited about. Light colored or white foods, such as pastas, can easily be manipulated with standard food coloring to be whatever color you’d like. Maybe your daughter wants lime green alfredo sauce or your son would prefer a hot pink carbonara. You can make that happen.You can also find many things on the store shelves that are already designed in a more fun color, like tri-color penne and rotini. Be aware, however. Look at the ingredients to make sure you aren’t trading something healthy for something full of artificial flavors and colors.

8. Don’t Forget Water

What kind of dietary list would this be if it didn’t include drinking water? The human body is greatly made up of water and that is worth remembering. Drinking enough water throughout the day will help your child know when they are actually hungry and help curb unnecessary snacking. It is important to make sure your child is drinking water instead of sugary juices and sodas, as these drinks can cause more cravings and leave your child snacking even more. Also, try to avoid anything with artificial flavor enhancers. Consuming these things could leave other foods tasting bland in comparison, making it even harder to convince your child to try them.

9. Remember the Rule of Seven

You may have heard of the rule of seven before as a marketing strategy. The idea is that a consumer needs to be exposed to a product, or pitch, at least seven times before they will take action to purchase and try it. For this reason, you might see the exact same commercial on TV enough times to make you question your sanity. This approach applies to child raising too. Don’t give up after the first time your child turns down a food. You just have to keep trying. Point out the food you would like them to try in the store. Try to prepare it in different ways. Your child will be a lot more willing to admit they like something if they choose to try it, themselves. They will be more willing to try it themselves, if they have been exposed to it enough times.

10. Lead by Example

Your child looks up to you. Being an example for them is both a gift and a curse. By now, you probably have a good idea of which foods you like. But the world has so many things to offer, there are probably still many things you haven’t tried. Show your child that adults are still learning about new things too. Make sure you instill a sense of adventure in new and challenging foods. You don’t want to give your child a reason to ask “why don’t you have to eat it?” You can both learn new things about yourselves while expanding your options for the future.

Meal times are a great opportunity for families and friends to share an experience while discussing their interests and catching up with one another. Once you’ve found the right combination of strategies to alleviate the stress involved, everyone will enjoy it so much more.