How to Get a Child to Eat a Variety of Foods
Theories of the cause of picky eaters range from genetics to the parents’ own habits of food consumption. Common tricks for managing this everyday battleground include pureeing fruits and vegetables and adding them to brownies or pasta, as well as simply putting the food down in front of the children and adopting the attitude of “They’ll eat when they’re hungry.” While the latter may seem harsh, parents are quite often at their wits' end when trying to make sure their child receives the proper nutrition. It is possible, however, to ease many of the tensions and frustrations parents face at mealtimes when their picky eaters refuse to eat. The underlying theme of getting your child to eat a variety of foods is: autonomy.
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Instructions
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Get Your Child Involved in the Food Preparation
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Ask your child to help out in the kitchen. Depending on the age of your child, he can assist with simple tasks like washing fruits and vegetables or pressing the button on the food processor. Older children can also stir sauces, throw in herbs or break pasta strands in half.
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Ask your child to be the taste taster. A very clever method of getting her to taste things that she may consider "yucky" is to ask if something needs more salt, pepper or garlic. She may not know what oregano is, but you can ask her if that is what the sauce needs. This makes her feel that she had had a say in what was prepared for dinner, as well as adding to her knowledge of spicing up a dish.
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Tell your child that you are making a very special dish because it is someone's favorite, and you do not want to mess it up, so your child needs to taste it for you. When that person then fawns over the dish and compliments the child on his good taste, the child feels good and wants to impress people again. Be prepared for your child to want to help prepare meals more often after this.
Get Your Child Involved in Clean-up and Conversation
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Ask your child what she liked about the meal as you are putting things away in the refrigerator or saving the leftovers. Ask for suggestions for what you could prepare together tomorrow.
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Have your child help put the leftovers into containers, and ask her to tell you what she liked or did not like about the meal.
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Reinforce that your child was a big help to you. Say that you do not know what you would have done without his assistance.
Get Your Child Involved in Meal Planning
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This is an easy segue from the cleaning-up stage. Tell your child there has been a recipe that you have been wanting to try. Get out your recipe books that have the most pictures (or use cooking magazines) and have the child pick a new recipe or two that you will prepare together. One of the best cookbooks for kids is "Taste of Home’s Cooking for Kids & Kids Party Food," ISBN 0-89821-504-8. This book has lots of photos and recipes for delicious and healthy foods, as well as great party ideas for kids.
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Help your child prepare a list of ingredients that you will need for the dishes. Let her hold this special list during your grocery shopping.
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In the car, continue talking with your child about the entire experience. Thank him for his help with the shopping. When you arrive home from the store, let him help you unpack everything. Then be sure to circle a date on the calendar of that week for the meal preparation.
Get Your Child Involved in Food Shopping
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Ask your child to help you bag the fresh produce or to pick out the best-looking apples. Teach her to look for signs of aging fruits or vegetables and let her pick out the produce for the entire family.
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Teach your child, when he is old enough to read, how to read labels and look for the two “biggest and baddest” ingredients: high-fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils. These two ingredients cause blood sugar to rise and arteries to clog. Avoid them. If this is the first time you attempt to knock those products off your list, be prepared to be at the grocery store for at least another hour or two.
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Give your child her own shopping list and a pen or pencil. Tell her to check off the items as you add them to the cart. Allow her to help put everything on the conveyor belt at checkout.
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Tips & Warnings
Children love new things, including new cooking utensils. A special spoon or spatula in the kitchen that is theirs alone teaches them how to cook, as well as that a favorite tool can making cooking (and later eating) enjoyable.
Children learn best by example. When you are trying to get your child to eat a variety of foods, make sure you are consuming them yourself.
