Is Your Child a Picky Eater? Five Ways to Fun and Healthy Mealtimes
Source: https://theconversation.com/
Nearly 50% of parents report having picky eaters at home, which can lead to stressful mealtimes filled with concerns about food waste and nutrition. This often results in power struggles and difficulty accommodating children’s preferences. However, behaviors like refusing new foods and going through phases of only wanting favorite foods are normal. Research shows that with time and repeated exposure—without pressure—most children will eventually accept new foods. Most picky eaters do not have severely restricted diets or growth issues.
Nutrition researchers have identified five strategies to create happier, healthier mealtimes and reduce stress for families with picky eaters.
1. Shift your perception: Exhausted parents may benefit from shifting their perception of their preschoolers’ eating habits. During these years, children experience slowed growth and develop a sense of independence, leading them to assert strong food preferences and a desire to self-feed. Labeling children as “picky eaters” can frame their normal developmental behaviors as non-compliant, resulting in stressful mealtime interactions focused on compliance rather than fostering a healthy relationship with food. This can create a cycle of pressure and refusal, sometimes leading parents to cater to unhealthy preferences. Instead, recognizing these behaviors as age-appropriate independence allows parents to focus on encouraging healthy eating without pressure, making mealtimes more enjoyable.
2. Accommodate, but don’t cater to them: Accommodating your child’s food preferences during mealtimes benefits both the child and the parent, allowing kids to assert their independence while enjoying prepared meals. Involve your child in meal planning by asking them what they’d like to eat for the week or taking them grocery shopping to choose a vegetable to try. This doesn’t mean you have to serve the same dish every night; for instance, you can prepare a milder version of a spicy dish. Additionally, meals that allow preschoolers to serve themselves enable them to control the amount and type of food they eat, promoting their engagement and satisfaction.
3. Have children taste new foods: Avoid pressuring your child to eat foods they dislike, like broccoli. Research from the UK shows that successful methods for encouraging kids to try disliked vegetables include repeated exposure, offering non-food rewards, and parents modeling by eating the same foods. It may take 10 to 15 exposures for a child to develop a taste for a new food, so try again without pressure. Start with small portions to make tasting easier, and consider using rewards like stickers to make the experience more enjoyable. Praise your child for trying new foods, but stay neutral if they choose not to eat them.
4. Model healthy eating: Eating with your child when introducing new foods is crucial, as children are more likely to try vegetables if they see their parents eating them. Research shows that kids with parents who model healthy eating habits tend to be less picky, are more open to trying disliked vegetables, and consume more fruits and vegetables overall.
5. Kids make great sous-chefs!: Involving the whole family in meal preparation can reduce mealtime stress and foster positive attitudes towards food. When children participate in cooking—such as washing vegetables or setting the table—they are more likely to eat the foods they help prepare. By giving your child a “sous-chef” role, you encourage healthy eating habits both now and in the future. Engaging kids in the kitchen helps them develop their own taste and preferences, making family mealtimes more enjoyable and improving their long-term diet. For age-appropriate tasks and kid-friendly recipes, consider resources like those from the Guelph Family Health Study.
Image Source:https://theconversation.com/
