Hey Everybody!
So, let’s talk about Picke Eaters. What is a picky eating. Picky eating refers to an unwillingness to eat new foods or familiar foods. I am going to start off by talking about my 5-year-old who is definitely considered probably the picky child. If you have a child who is picky, it can be very frustrating at times, but understanding what is really going on is important. My husband and I noticed at about the age of 18months, there were certain foods he stopped eating (spaghetti, rice, etc…) We really didn’t know what was going on, but now that he is 5 years, he still does not eat those foods and I realized that he may have had a bad experience with certain foods and just will not eat it again.
Even now, he will say, “I don’t eat this anymore”. He minds goes back to that experience that he had, and he thinks he will get the same experience again. That may be a bad taste or just something didn’t look right, so yes, it is frustrating at times. Sometimes it can just be he just don’t want to eat it and it is not that he doesn’t like it so getting him to at least taste the food is key. He does eat pretty much any breakfast foods, but mainly his issue is pasta, rice, bone in chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, vegetables and anything new!!!! It is a challenge, but he loves his smoothies (veggies included).
So enough about my 5-year-old. What are some possible solutions that may or may not work? Do you deal with any of these issues?
- Child likes to play with food. Possible Solution: Clear table without comment at end of meal and refuse snacks until next meals.
- Child leaves food on plate often. Possible Solution: Try to offer smaller serving size. Try not to force child to clean plate.
- Child always want something else no matter what you prepare. Possible Solution: Don’t prepare a separate elaborate meal, offer an alternative such as peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If he doesn’t want to eat, wait until next meal.
- Child eats only cookies, candy, chips and other sweets. Possible Solution: Offer more healthy alternatives such as oatmeal cookies, raisins, dried fruit/fruit.
- Child drinks only juice and no other beverages. Possible Solution: Cut back gradually. Dilute juice with equal water amount.
- Child eats only one food, meal after meal. Possible Solution: Try to ignore the food jag and let child eat but offer other foods as well. Hopefully the jag will pass. Try smoothies, soups or yogurt.
Feel free to try any of these possible solutions and see how they work or do like me and offer some tasty smoothies!!!!! Check out more healthy recipes for you and your family from my Tasty Tuesday Tip Recipe Book.
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What are your thoughts?
Remember, Small Steps equals BIG Change
Monica
Blogging Healthy Tips w/Monica 