How to feed a picky eater
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- June
- 9
We talk a lot about picky eaters on this blog, so I thought that today, instead of discussing the various ways in which my big guy can be picky (once in a while, Markus rejects something, but I’d be hard-pressed to describe him, ever, as picky), I’d share some tips on helping deal with said picky ones.
This guide from Parenting starts off pointing out a statistic that’s reassuring: Almost 40 percent of children younger than 6 are picky eaters.
In other words, it’s totally normal.
At this age, kids’ instinctual response to something new is suspicion and caution, and they may be asserting their independence by refusing your offerings. But picky eating won’t last forever — most kids grow out of it by age 8 or 9.
In fact, Rafael already has begun to be more adventurous.
He totally digs a variation of eggplant parm that my mother-in-law makes — but only if I cut the skin off first. And, yes, I think it most likely is a matter of control. But he’ll all but lick the plate clean if there’s no skin on the eggplant, so it’s a small price to pay.
The main suggestions:
Be patient. A typical toddler needs multiple exposures to a new food before he’ll risk tasting it – and 10 to 20 tastes before he actually likes it.…
Cut back on portions. A toddler’s stomach is the size of his fist, and he’s growing only one-tenth as much as he did as a baby, so he likely needs less food than you think.
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Involve your child. He’ll be more interested in eating the final product. Ask, “Should we have green beans or broccoli?” But don’t offer too many options – he might feel confused.
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Get creative. Try presenting foods in new and fun ways.
In my experience:
• Patience is key. I never push. Any time he rejects a food, I let it be. I try a couple times, then next time we have it, I try again. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
• I never start out with a huge portion. I start with a small amount. If he likes it, he gets more. My guy’s a skinny minny, so I never worry about him eating too much. He could use a little fat on his bones, frankly.
• I try not to involve Rafael too much in food decisions, honestly. He’ll change his mind every three seconds. We prefer to tell him what he’s going to eat rather than ask. Sometimes I’ll give him two choices, and I let him change his mind once, maybe twice. Never ever more than twice.
• Never done anything incredibly creative with his food. Honestly, I don’t want him to get too reliant on a “creative” presentation. Give Rafael an inch, he’ll take a mile.
This entry was posted
on Monday, June 9th, 2008 at 8:11 am by Amy Vernon.
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I once attended a seminar for parents of picky eaters and it was standing room only. Nearly EVERY parent was afraid that his or her child was “starving to death” or not getting enough food. When they heard that most children will eat enough and most children have “food issues” due to parental anxiety, you could feel the tension in the room ease considerably. I don’t know why but many parents worry about how much their children eat – or don’t eat. Yet most children survive, lol.
Last fall I did a culinary adventure in which I tried new recipes and didn’t make my two kids a separate meal in case they didn’t like it. I didn’t make anything outrageous, just soups/stews, new spins on chicken, etc. It worked. My seven year old, who is more likely outgrowing her pickiness than a successful case study in my adventure, is much more open to trying new things now. My three year old is approaching the height of his pickiness but I’ve found that if I don’t push him, he is more responsive to new items on his plate.
Also, I’ve found that having other people introduce the new food works, too. Especially friends. When they see their friends eating something, they are more apt to try it rather than have that nagging woman (me!) offer it up to them.
One last thing: when I try something new with them I describe the experience like a cooking show host. I tell them if it’s crunch or chewy, sweet or salty, etc. I find that giving them a heads up on the texture and what to expect in terms of taste helps alot.
jcrn – How true, how true. I consider myself extremely fortunate that Markus is not very discriminating when it comes to food. The biggest issue with him is usually that he needs to have a toy while he’s eating. And that the food doesn’t get into his mouth fast enough. We’re having issues now, too, with him demanding to feed himself cereal, but then he just takes the spoon and smacks it into the milk, making a very satisfying splash. Sigh.
Meredith – all good ideas/advice. We sometimes tell Rafael that he can’t have something we’re eating. Then he suddenly wants to try and determines it’s the most delicious thing he’s ever had in his life. Sometimes reverse psychology does work.