Dealing With Picky Eaters
As parents there is nothing more important than the health of our kids. For some parents it’s as easy as making nutritious meals and serving them, however for most parents it can be a lot more complicated. Kids can be very fussy about the taste, texture and even the colour of their food, refusing to eat it.
Picky eating can be an inconvenience but also very worrying for some parents. Fortunately, picky eating is usually just a stage that most kids will go through at some point as a kid. In addition, it doesn’t always have anything to do with the food at all. There is usually an underlying reason and it’s important to discover what is behind their fussiness.
Don’t force them
You cannot force your kids to do anything, especially eat and there is no point in trying. You are only going to stress yourself out more than is necessary. Do you remember as kids how you would have to finish everything on your plate before you could leave the table? M.D Adam Strauss offers a word of caution explaining how “when parents demand that their kids eat certain foods, they’re attaching negative connotations to it. Pretty soon, the struggle is worse.” You can offer your kids a range of nutritious foods but if they refuse to eat them try not to stress over it.
Get them involved
Most picky eaters want control over what they are going to eat. Getting them involved in cooking and preparing the meals is an important part of dinnertime. This way they will more appreciative of the food and have a better understanding of the amount of time and effort that goes into preparing a meal. Once they have helped you prepare and cook the food, let them choose their portion size; within reason. Giving them control over their food and the portions will ensure that they are happy to eat all their food and not waste any.
Let them pick their foods
You can make eating fun and effortless by letting them pick their food from their very own fridge. A great tip for getting your picky eater to enjoy eating is by investing in bar fridges. A bar fridge is great for storing child approved snacks and prepared meals.
It’s not only a fun way to get your kids to eat it’s also a great way to save time. Pre-plan kiddie snacks and meals that they can choose themselves from their very own bar fridge. That way there is never any reason for them to go to the ‘adult fridge’.
Stick to a routine
When and where possible it’s important to stick to a routine. Kids thrive on consistency and that is why you should stick to a routine where you serve meals and snack around the same time every day. Keep their meals fun and interesting, you can serve a glass of milk or juice with their meals but only offer water between meals and snack time. If you allow your child to constantly snack or fill up on milk or juice throughout the day, it might decrease their appetite by the time dinner time comes around.
