April 15, 2005
'You can't make me eat it!' -- Tips for Picky Eaters
You may not believe it now, but your little one won't always be a picky eater. Strange eating habits are often just a passing phase.
Don't give up hope. There are ways to get through this awful stage. Try these ideas. They'll get you and your picky eater through the "food fight phase" and make mealtime more pleasant, too.
Let your child try new foods a few at a time. It will take a few tries for him to see if he likes them.
Try these tips for giving new foods to your child:
- Arrange the new food nicely on a plate when you serve it.
- Think about how the food looks. Children love food to have shape and color.
- Set a good example. Serve a new food to the whole family.
- Give your child new foods at the start of the meal. This is when he's most hungry.
- Serve new foods with his favorite food. He'll be more likely to try them.
- Serve a small portion. Trying to have "just a taste" is easier than eating a large portion.
- Don't give up! Serve the new food again at other meals. Children will try--and like--foods they know.
- Be firm with snack times. If she doesn't eat her meal, ask her to try "just a little taste."
- Make sure she knows she must wait for her next snack time to eat again.
- Serve snacks about 1 1/2 - 2 hours before meals.
- Make sure she doesn't fill up on juice or milk between meals.
- Serve two snacks if the next meal is really far off (like an early lunch and a late dinner).
- Serve snacks in the same place all of the time. Don't let her get in the habit of snacking with the TV.
- Slices of fruit like celery sticks, carrots or apple with a peanut butter "dip"
- Berries with milk
- Crackers with peanut butter or wedges of cheese
- Apple slices with yogurt 'dip"
- Cereal and fruit