Say GOODBYE to Picky Eater... Forever

How to Help Your Picky Eater be Less Picky

#1 Stay Calm – Adding anger, stress and pressure to a picky eater doesn’t help the situation. You may succeed in forcing them to choke down their peas, but that doesn’t help your long-term goal of raising a healthy eater.

Creating negative associations with food can last a long time! My parents once forced me to eat cooked asparagus, which I promptly threw up all over the kitchen table and to this day cooked asparagus is a tough one for me because it always makes me think of that unpleasant event!

#2 Texture Texture Texture! – Did I mention texture? Try serving your picky eater fruits and veggies in different forms and textures. For example, if your toddler can’t stand cooked peas, try serving them raw!

Texture can be one of the biggest hold ups for a picky eater. The key is finding out what textures they like and focusing on expanding their food choices within that category. Maybe they like crunchy, or perhaps smooth, some may prefer bumpy (like broccoli). Every picky eater is different! So if your picky eater turns their nose up at steamed carrots, try raw slices instead or maybe even grated carrots!

#3: Serve Small Portions – Trying new food can be far less intimidating when it’s just a small bite or two. If you heap a large portion on the plate, it can be as daunting to a picky eater as climbing Mount Everest!
The goal is to create successes for your picky eater. Getting them to try one small bite is worth celebrating! One bite at a time is the way to work with picky eaters! It took me two years to learn to enjoy red peppers, starting with a bite that was about the size of a pencil eraser! Consider it taste bud training where every little bite makes a difference and overtime adds up!

#4: Make it fun – Kids want to have fun – that’s what makes them such great people to be around! So when you want to get your kids on board for something, try making a game out of it! Look at your kitchen through the eyes of your little one and suddenly the salad spinner becomes a merry-go-round for lettuce and the sink turns into a carwash for vegetable shaped vehicles! Use mini cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes in fruits and vegetables. Get them involved! Keeping things light and fun will help your picky eater be more open to trying new things!

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy eating habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day.

Secrets for MOM :: Feeding Picky Eaters

Snacks to the rescue 

Try NOT to keep track of the servings my kids are eating - looks at the whole week, not just one meal or even one day.

Snacks can be like little meals, covering several of the food groups (especially protein and carbohydrates) to provide more lasting energy. “tell yourself not to worry, we can catch up with healthy snacks, such as a bowl of frozen blueberries, a smoothie or my favourite: a bowl of cereal.”

Another way is slowly shifting the goals of healthy eating to the kids give kids’ responsibility. “... make smoothies together and have a lot of fun adding ingredients and tasting the results...”

The power of patience

Kids do not become amazing eaters instantly, and many parents get discouraged with this seemingly uphill battle. The trick is to NOT TO GIVE UP !! “Parents need to keep challenging their kids to try new foods,” ... There is always something to introduce or reintroduce. It requires patience and a willingness to deal with the negative reactions kids have to these foods...

10 Tips for Picky Eaters

No. 1: Respect your child's appetite — or lack of one

If your child isn't hungry, don't force a meal or snack. Likewise, don't bribe or force your child to eat certain foods or clean his or her plate. This might only ignite — or reinforce — a power struggle over food. In addition, your child might come to associate mealtime with anxiety and frustration. Serve small portions to avoid overwhelming your child and give him or her the opportunity to independently ask for more.

No. 2: Stick to the routine

Serve meals and snacks at about the same times every day. Provide juice or milk with the food, and offer water between meals and snacks. Allowing your child to fill up on juice or milk throughout the day might decrease his or her appetite for meals.

No. 3: Be patient with new foods

Young children often touch or smell new foods, and may even put tiny bits in their mouths and then take them back out again. Your child might need repeated exposure to a new food before he or she takes the first bite. Encourage your child by talking about a food's color, shape, aroma and texture — not whether it tastes good. Serve new foods along with your child's favorite foods.

No. 4: Make it fun

Serve broccoli and other veggies with a favorite dip or sauce. Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters. Offer breakfast foods for dinner. Serve a variety of brightly colored foods.

No. 5: Recruit your child's help

At the grocery store, ask your child to help you select fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. Don't buy anything that you don't want your child to eat. At home, encourage your child to help you rinse veggies, stir batter or set the table.

No. 6: Set a good example

If you eat a variety of healthy foods, your child is more likely to follow suit.

No. 7: Be creative

Add chopped broccoli or green peppers to spaghetti sauce, top cereal with fruit slices, or mix grated zucchini and carrots into casseroles and soups.

No. 8: Minimize distractions

Turn off the television and other electronic gadgets during meals. This will help your child focus on eating. Keep in mind that television advertising might also encourage your child to desire sugary foods.

No. 9: Don't offer dessert as a reward

Withholding dessert sends the message that dessert is the best food, which might only increase your child's desire for sweets. You might select one or two nights a week as dessert nights, and skip dessert the rest of the week — or redefine dessert as fruit, yogurt or other healthy choices.

No. 10: Don't be a short-order cook

Preparing a separate meal for your child after he or she rejects the original meal might promote picky eating. Encourage your child to stay at the table for the designated mealtime — even if he or she doesn't eat. Keep serving your child healthy choices until they become familiar and preferred. 

If you're concerned that picky eating is compromising your child's growth and development, consult your child's doctor. In addition, consider recording the types and amounts of food your child eats for three days. The big picture might help ease your worries. A food log can also help your child's doctor determine any problems. In the meantime, remember that your child's eating habits won't likely change overnight — but the small steps you take each day can help promote a lifetime of healthy eating.

sumber :

1. http://www.momeomagazine.com/healthy-habits-for-kids-%E2%80%9Cbarf-i%E2%80%99m-not-eating-that%E2%80%9D-4-ways-to-help-your-picky-eater/

2. http://www.todaysparent.com/school-age/school-age-health/trade-secrets-feeding-picky-eaters?

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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  

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