Look Out Picky Eaters! Mom Has You Figured Out

CHildren are naturally picky eaters. Some days they eat, anything and everything and the next day – not a bite! Here are some tips to help you deal with your picky eater

Every family has one. If your family does not have a picky eater, consider yourself very lucky. As your children’s taste develop it is normal for them to turn their noses up at perfectly good food. It is common, but still annoying. Preparing healthy meals which the kids will not only eat, but also enjoy becomes a challenge. It is especially challenging to those of us who have more than one child. As Murphy’s Law would have it, no two children in the same family, love the same food.

A busy family having dinner together, is challenging enough, without the table becoming a war zone, pitting parents against children in a ‘you better eat your vegetables’ battle. Children between the ages of two and five tend to be the greatest culprits. This is because they are still learning their likes and dislikes. During the process it seems they like very little. It is the parent’s job to guide them toward a healthy lifestyle which includes eating healthy.

Parents can eliminate some of their supper time frustration just by accepting the fact that children have mealtime habits which differ from that of their own. It may be of great concern to you, when on occasion; your children eat very little. This is not abnormal. Young children often receive what is nutritionally required over a series of meals. They make up for a light meal by eating a fuller meal later on. As long as your children are growing properly and are not lethargic, having plenty of energy, don’t concern yourself. In addition, children are not bored eating a food they like over and over again. They may be perfectly happy eating the same thing day in and day out. As long as it is healthy food, who cares? Parents should choose their battles. This is not one of them.

Do not allow food to become a control issue between you and your child. Keep in mind that your child’s taste will likely change more than once during the growing years. It is also good to remember that everyone has some food they do not like, including parents. Your child should be allowed the courtesy of skipping one or two foods which are distasteful to them.

Parents who wish for their children to eat healthier, must model healthy living. Children will follow their example and learn to appreciate some of the same foods appreciated by their parents. Use the food pyramid as a guide to establish a balanced approach to eating. The food pyramid offers a wide variety of choices from each essential food group. This will serve your children well in the future. It is impossible to not find something that every member of the family will enjoy.Continue to be adventurous while attempting to get your picky eater to eat. Try this, that, and everything. Eat breakfast for dinner for example. Shaking things up a bit just might help. If ‘variety is the spice of life’, then perhaps adding variety to your mealtime ritual may help get your picky eater to be less mundane about his eating habits.

Picky eaters may be picky for a good reason. Eating snacks too close to meal time will sabotage your efforts in getting your child to eat. Maybe your child likes the food which is set before him, but having snacked too close to mealtime, is simply not hungry. Offer snacks, especially to toddlers. Toddlers can not fill their little stomachs enough to sustain them between meals. Do not serve your child a snack if dinner will be on the table in the next hour. You will defeat your purpose. When it comes to snacking, two snacks a day coupled with the three squares your child should receive is sufficient. Above all choose healthy snacks.
Don’t make a big deal about dessert. A child does not need a dessert after every meal, but may be allowed to enjoy one. Keep the portion minimal and never attach dessert to a bribe or as a reward. Teach your child that food is for nourishment. Your child should learn early, that we eat to live, and not live to eat.

While food should be enjoyed it should never be associated with good or bad behavior.