Yesterday I discussed ways to increase vegetable consumption which brought me to the topic of picky eating. Do you have a picky eater in your family? Often times when we have a child that refuses foods it results in a lot of frustration and negative attitudes towards meal time and eating. It’s actually normal for a child to refuse a food they haven’t tried. We know the importance of eating a balanced diet and we want our children to do that too, however sometimes it’s easier said than done! Here are a few tips from ChooseMyPlate.gov to help your picky eater try new foods:
- Sometimes, new foods take time. Kids don’t always take to new foods right away. Offer new foods many times. It may take up to a dozen tries for a child to accept a new food.
- Small portions, big benefits. Let your kids try small portions of new foods that you enjoy. Give them a small taste at first and be patient with them. When they develop a taste for many types of foods, it’s easier to plan family meals.
- Be a good role model by trying new foods yourself. Describe its taste, texture, and smell.
- Offer only one new food at a time. Serve something that you know your child likes along with the new food. Offering too many new foods all at once could be overwhelming.
- Offer new foods first, at the beginning of a meal, when your child is the most hungry.
- Serve food plain if that is important to your preschooler. For example, instead of a macaroni casserole, try meatballs, pasta, and a vegetable. Also, to keep the different foods separate, try plates with sections. For some kids the opposite works and serving a new food mixed in with a familiar item is helpful.
Read more about helping your child eat healthy at: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/picky-eaters/new-foods.html
-Kelsey
