8 Useful Tips to Feed a Picky Eater
A picky eater might happily eat some foods, but it is normal for him/her to toss other foods on the floor. If you are a parent of such a picky eater then remember, this is just a phase. It might last for one year or less, but you simply can’t afford to let your picky eater not eat a good diet. So, the question is how can you encourage the kid to eat properly until this phase is over? Here are some ideas which will help you understand how you can deal with your picky eater in a much better way.
1. Don’t fight over food
Don’t turn the mealtime into a battle of wills. This is one of the biggest mistakes made by the parents of picky eaters. Don’t just try to make the kid eat what you have cooked for lunch. If you fight over food every day, you will end up making the kid scared of meal time which can otherwise be a really enjoyable time. Instead, you can offer a variety of good healthy food items. Your kid might reject these items at first but he might try it after taking his sweet time. So, prepare good food and serve it on a dish in an interesting way. Make the food look beautiful. Offer him fresh fruits, vegetables and chicken without pressurizing him. Try different food items and your child might surprise you with what they like.
2. Give a lot of choices to your picky eater
A lot of kids avoid eating vegetables. One of the best ways to encourage the kids for eating green veggies is by taking them on vegetable shopping. Many children find colorful vegetables attractive. So, take your kid to a superstore and encourage him to pick some vegetables. If he doesn’t like green vegetables then encourage him to choose orange, yellow or red vegetables. You can offer him raw vegetables with a dip like ranch dressing or hummus. Make purees and dips using different green vegetables like Broccoli.
3. Avoid too much liquids
A kid should never drink only calories. In place of ready-made juices available in the market, go for home-made juices. Limit the consumption of juices. Always avoid juices with added sugar and preservatives. Encourage the kid to drink a lot of plain water in the day. Serve milk or juice for meals and water for the rest of the day. Your kid should have about two and a half cups of milk a day.
4. Negotiate with the picky eater and don’t let him have too much sugar
Almost every kid has a sweet tooth. Kids love candies, cakes, muffins, chocolates etc. Having too much sugar is unhealthy for anyone. So, offer your picky eater some snacks that are naturally sweet. For instance, you can offer him low-fat yogurt, fresh fruits, frozen bananas and apple slices with peanut butter. You can make layered parfaits for the little picky eater. Also, find out some healthy muffin and cake recipes online. This will help you to include fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and a lot of healthy food in your picky eater’s diet. Give sweets as a reward at the end of the meal and don’t serve it as a meal.
