Picky Eating

All caregivers want their kids to be ‘good’ eaters. We consider ‘good’ eaters to be kids who like eating, are interested in food, like eating with the family, will eat the foods offered to them, and have good mealtime manners. But kids don’t automatically become these perfect eaters! They learn by the way we lead them, and they will usually go through many phases that can be a challenge for you as the caregiver.

Do you have a picky eater on your hands? Hopefully the tips below will help but know that you are not allow – stay positive!

Where to Start

The division of responsibility is so important when feeding your kids. Read all the details in this article: How to Feed Your Toddler.

Here is a quick overview of the division of responsibility:

• Parents (Caregiver) Provide
  • Choose what foods are offered.
  • Choose when the foods are offered.
  • Choose where the foods are offered.
• Kids Decide
  • Choose which foods to eat.
  • Choose how much to eat.

 

Here a couple quick changes to make today to help your picky eater:

1. Start by setting a good example. Kids learn by watching and imitating what they see. Adults who eat poorly can’t expect their kids to eat well. Set a good example by eating regular meals and making healthy food choices.

2. Next, give a five-minute warning before mealtime to allow your child to calm down, wash their hands, and get ready to eat. If they are anxious, excited, or tired they might have a hard time settling down to eat.

Occasional meal skipping and finicky food habits

Well-meaning caregivers often think the worst if a child skips a meal or won’t eat any vegetables. Keep the big picture in mind. Offer healthful, nourishing meals daily. Over time, children will get everything they need to grow and develop normally.

• Plenty of variety and a relaxed, happy atmosphere at mealtime are the ingredients for a well-fed child. 
• Childhood food binges, food strikes, and other unusual habits are usually a part of normal development even though adults often view a child’s odd food and eating behaviors as a problem.
• Children use the table as a stage for showing their independence. Sometimes, food isn’t the issue at all. The eating process is just one more way kids learn about the world.

 

Remember, everybody has different food likes and dislikes, so do your kids!

Let’s dive into some common problems at mealtimes!

Will only eat one, and only one, food meal after meal: Food Jags

• Allow the child to eat what he wants if ‘jag’ food is wholesome. 
• Offer other foods at each meal. After a few days the child will likely try other foods. 
• Don’t remove the ‘jag’ food but offer it as long as the child wants it. Food jags rarely last long enough to cause any real harm.

Refuse to eat what’s served: Short-Order Cook Syndrome

• Have bread, rolls, or fruit available at each meal so there are choices that the child likes.
• Be supportive, set limits, and don’t be afraid to let the child go hungry if he won’t eat what is served. Which is worse? An occasional missed meal or a parent who is a perpetual short-order cook?
  • One or two missed meals won’t be harmful to your child. They will soon learn to eat what is served.

Want to watch TV at mealtime

• Turn off the TV at mealtime. Mealtime TV is a distraction that ruins family interaction and interferes with a child’s eating. 
• Value the time spent together while eating. Often, it’s the only time during the day when the whole family is together. An occasional dinnertime with TV that the whole family can enjoy is fine – it also makes these nights more fun and special!

Whine or complain about the food served

• First, ask the child to eat other foods offered at the meal. If the child cannot behave properly, have the child go to his room or sit quietly in a corner until the meal is finished.
• Don’t let him take food with him, return for dessert, or eat until the next planned meal or snack time. 
• Remember they might be copying adult behavior. Be sure you’re talking positively about food.

Will only eat bread, potatoes, macaroni, and milk: The Great American White Food Diet

• Avoid pressuring the child to eat other foods. Giving more attention to finicky eating habits only reinforces the demands for limited foods. 
• Continue to offer a variety of foods. Encourage a taste of red, orange, and green foods. Eventually the child will move on to other foods.

Refuse to try new foods: Fear of New Foods

• Continue to introduce and reintroduce new foods over time. It may take many exposures to a new food before a child is ready to taste it and a lot of tastes before a child likes it.
• Don’t force children into trying new foods.

Additional Tips:

Here are a few more simple tips to make mealtime a more pleasant experience.

• Be patient with new foods. Expose your kids to a new food more than once ‐‐ at least 10‐15 times!
• Make it fun!  Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters or make up names for foods like calling broccoli “trees”.
• Let your kids help. Ask your child to help you pick out fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods and let them help prepare the meal with you in the kitchen.
• Set a good example.  Your child is more likely to eat healthy if you do.
• Offer choices. Avoid asking, “Do you want broccoli for dinner?” Instead try, “Which would you like for dinner — broccoli or cauliflower?”
• Hide the veggies!  Add chopped broccoli or green pepper to spaghetti sauce.  Or try adding grated vegetables like zucchini or carrots to meat loaf, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, and other hot dishes.
• Don’t use food as reward or punishment. In the long run, food bribery usually creates more problems than it solves. 
• Don’t offer dessert as a reward! Your child will think dessert is the best choice for food. Incorporate it into a normal, healthy meal.
• Set a meal schedule. Planning snack and mealtimes is important for growing children to meet their nutrition needs.
• Make a garden. In the summertime, have your child help you plant a garden or a pot with your favorite fruits and vegetables.
• Make mealtime pleasant. Mealtime is not a time for watching television or arguing. Distractions should be limited.
• Limit high calorie drinks. Your child may become full and eat poorly at mealtimes. Stick to water between meals and white milk at meals.