Does your child make weird faces at the sight of their food plate? Do they always hesitate to try new food items, especially veggies? Well, it seems you have got a picky eater in your family. We understand that it’s a task to make such kids eat nutritious food but here are certain ways to trick your picky eater into consuming more healthy food. Read on to know all about it.
1. Involve Kids in Meal Prep
If you want to nurture healthy eating habits in your kids, involve them in food preparations. Ask for their help in mixing, measuring, and other age-appropriate cooking tasks. Take them vegetable shopping, let them help you in your kitchen garden, show them food realted shows and so on. This will make your picky eaters interested in exploring new items and knowing their taste.
2. Avoid Food Fights
Yes, it’s heartbreaking to see kids playing with food, spitting it out of their mouths, and finally throwing it from their plates. But here is the truth, the more you fight for food or try force-feeding, the more your kid will hate taking that bite. It will surely backfire. Instead, try to create a positive mealtime with your picky eater. Tell them how delicious the food is, how great it smells and how strong you have become after eating it and so on.
3. Give Small Portions to Your Picky Eater
If you are introducing a new food item to your child, serve a small portion size in the beginning. This way your child will not be overwhelmed by the quantity of food and will be willing to taste it. If the child likes the taste, slowly increase the portion of the food in the subsequent meals.
4. Be Consistent With New Food Items
It is a known fact that child has to try something about 10-15 times before they start liking it. So, do not get disheartened if your picky eater does not consume those leafy vegetables for the first couple of times. Serve them the same new item every alternate day or so. Sooner or later they might develop a taste for it. You can introduce the new food during lunch, dinner, or snack time or on a rotational basis.
You can even offer the same dish in different flavors to see what your child likes it since not all kids like bland or sweet food. Some might like it crunchy, or little spicy. So play with the flavors for their liking.
5. Be a Role Model For Your Kids
Kids learn from their parents. They observe your every verbal and nonverbal clues. So, be careful how you react to food items in front of them. Appreciate what’s on the plate as much as possible and tell them how excited you are to try a new dish. The more positively you will communicate about food with your child, the more chances are that they will try the dish.
Dealing with picky eaters can be challenging but with patience and these tricks, you can gradually guide your child in embracing healthy eating habits.
You can also read 5 Healthy Snacks That Are Perfect for Kids
