Learn These Tips on Feeding Your Fussy Eaters a New Recipe

It's common for kids to be picky eaters, meaning they don't like the taste, shape, colour, or texture of certain foods. It's also common for kids to like something one day and hate it the next, to reject new foods, and to eat more or less depending on the day. 

 

This is due to the fact that fussy eating is a normal part of a child's growth. It's a way for them to learn about their surroundings and claim their freedom. It's also because, depending on how fast they're developing and how active they are during the day, children's appetites keep changing.

Providing dietary freedom to picky eaters

Supporting your child's need for freedom when it comes to food may be a positive idea. Your child has access to nutritious foods because you have them. Allow your boy, however, to determine how much he will eat. Allowing your child to choose from a variety of healthy foods is another good choice. 

Only restrict the choices to a maximum of two or three to prevent your child being too confused or exhausted to feed. Rather than asking your child to choose from the refrigerator, you might ask, "Would you like grapes or carrot sticks?" Another excellent suggestion is to include your child in the preparation of family meals. For instance, your child may assist with:

• Selecting a dish
• Getting food out of the fridge 
• Washing fruit and veggies 
• Tossing a salad planting and picking herbs at home

Getting picky eaters to try new foods

Here are several suggestions for dealing with a picky eater who refuses to try new foods:

• Continually add new foods at various times. Your child will most likely try them and eventually like them, but she will need to see a food on the plate 10-15 times before tasting it.
• Place a small amount of new food on the plate alongside popular foods your child already loves, such as broccoli and mashed potatoes. Encourage your child to try the new food by touching, smelling, or licking it.
• Get the food appealing. Enable your child to choose from a range of colours, shapes, and sizes, and let them select what he/she eats from the plate.

If you punish your child for refusing to try new foods, new foods can become a negative experience. 

Wrap Up

If your child refuses to eat it, take it away gently and give it to her again later. It's tempting to offer your child food rewards just to get him to eat something, such as "If you have a carrot, you can have some chocolate."  To know more about how to keep your fussy eaters entertained during their mealtime you can check out Fussy Eater and speak to one of our nutritionists.