But My Kid Won’t Eat THAT!
By Connie Evers, MS, RD
Convinced that their child will surely starve, parents of picky eaters sometimes go to great lengths to please finicky palates. They serve mostly brown (or white) foods, stick to just one vegetable (usually corn) or bribe their child with dessert if they will just “take a bite” of a new food. Or they may give up altogether and opt for drive-through dining.
Convinced that their child will surely starve, parents of picky eaters sometimes go to great lengths to please finicky palates. They serve mostly brown (or white) foods, stick to just one vegetable (usually corn) or bribe their child with dessert if they will just “take a bite” of a new food. Or they may give up altogether and opt for drive-through dining.
When parents resort to these behaviors, they often set the stage for power struggles over food and also unknowingly undermine their child’s eating development. By giving in to a child’s dietary whims, finicky food behavior is reinforced and family mealtimes become a dreaded occasion.
On the other hand, when parents remain positive, continue to offer a variety of healthful foods, and model positive eating behaviors, most kids will eventually learn to enjoy a wide variety of foods.
Advice for parents of picky eaters
1. Relax! Picky eating behavior is a perfectly normal phase at certain ages and stages in your child’s development.
2. Understand parent-child boundaries in regards to eating. Offer your child a varied and well-balanced diet but don’t force him to eat a specified amount or produce a “clean plate.” Respect your child’s ability to determine when he’s had enough to eat.
3. Realize that it’s normal for many kids to react with disgust when they see a new food. Don’t give up though — kids sometimes need 10 or more exposures to a food before they will take their first bite!
4. Don’t make assumptions about what your child will or will not eat. Give her the opportunity to decide whether she will sample a food that she previously declared “yucky.” Tastes change as children mature.
5. Recognize the importance of family meals. Eating together on a routine basis contributes to good nutrition, improved communication and stronger family bonds.
6. Prepare foods in a variety of ways. For instance, if your child refuses cooked peas, try serving fresh pea pods with a dip such as hummus or low fat Ranch. A child who shuns a bowl of salad may gladly munch lettuce, tomatoes and sweet onion slices when layered on a sub sandwich. Roasted red potatoes may win over the taste buds of a child who refuses to eat mashed potatoes.
7. Involve kids in food-related activities such as shopping, menu planning, cooking and gardening. Kids are more likely to eat something that they had a hand in creating.
8. Be a positive model for healthy eating and physical activity. Children learn more by watching what we do rather than what we say!