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The picky eater stage caught me by surprise. My daughter has always been a good eater but then started refusing all the foods I offered her. She only wanted milk and juice.
It’s natural to worry when your child turns their nose up at nutritious foods. Picky eating is a common phase, but it can be frustrating and concerning, especially when you want to ensure their getting the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.
Fear not, mama! I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 63 proven picky eater strategies to help you navigate this challenging time with ease. From creative presentation techniques to positive reinforcement and everything in between, these tips will have your kids devouring their veggies in no time.
1 Understanding Picky Eating
Before we dive into the strategies, let’s take a moment to understand what’s behind picky eating. It’s a common phase that most children go through, often starting around the age of two. It’s a part of their development, as they assert their independence and explore their newfound ability to make choices.
Picky eating can also be influenced by various factors, such as sensory issues, texture aversions, or simply a fear of trying new foods. Some children may also be more sensitive to strong flavors or smells, making them more inclined to reject certain foods.
It’s important to remember that picky eating is a phase, and with patience and consistency, it can be overcome. With the right strategies, you can help your child develop a healthy relationship with food and expand their palate.
2 The 63 Picky Eater Strategies
Now, let’s dive into the strategies that can help you tackle picky eating and get your kids excited about healthy foods!
1. Lead by Example
Kids often mimic their parents’ eating habits, so be a role model by enjoying a variety of nutritious foods yourself.
2. Get Them Involved
Let your children help with meal planning, grocery shopping, and even age-appropriate food preparation. When they’re involved, they’ll be more invested in trying new foods.
3. Keep It Fun
Make mealtimes enjoyable by playing music, telling jokes, or engaging in light-hearted conversations. A positive atmosphere can make trying new foods less daunting.
4. Use Positive Reinforcement
Praise your child when they try a new food, even if they don’t finish it. Positive reinforcement goes a long way in encouraging healthy eating habits.
5. Offer Choices
Give your child a choice between two healthy options, allowing them to feel in control while still providing nutritious meals.
6. Don’t Force It
Forcing your child to eat something they don’t want can create a negative association with that food. Instead, offer it again another time without pressure.
7. Mix It Up
Try presenting familiar foods in new ways, like cutting them into fun shapes or offering dips and sauces for dipping.
8. Start Small
Introduce new foods in small portions, and don’t overwhelm their plate with too many unfamiliar items at once.
9. Blend It In
Try blending veggies into smoothies, sauces, or baked goods for a sneaky way to add nutrients.
10. Make It Colourful
Kids are often drawn to vibrant colours, so create a colourful plate with a variety of fruits and veggies.
11. Offer Dips and Sauces
Kids love to dip their foods! Offer nutritious dips like hummus, yogurt dressing, or nut butter to make veggies and fruits more appealing.
12. Cut It Up
Some kids are more inclined to try foods cut into fun shapes or bite-sized pieces. Get creative with cookie cutters or melon ballers.
13. Serve Breakfast for Dinner
Kids often have different taste preferences at different times of the day. Try serving breakfast foods like pancakes or oatmeal for dinner for a change.
14. Be Patient and Persistent
It can take up to 15-20 exposures before a child accepts a new food. Don’t give up too soon – keep offering it, and eventually, their curiosity may get the better of them!
15. Offer a Familiar Food at Every Meal
Include at least one familiar, well-liked food on the plate alongside the new items. This can make trying new things less daunting.
16. Use Fun Names
Give new foods fun, creative names like “dinosaur trees” for broccoli or “power puffs” for whole-grain puffs. Kids are more likely to try something with an exciting name.
17. Let Them Play with Their Food
Within reason, allow your child to explore and play with their food. This sensory experience can help them become more comfortable with new textures and flavors.
18. Create a Colorful Plate
Kids are drawn to vibrant colors, so create a colorful plate with a variety of fruits and veggies. It’s visually appealing and nutritious!
19. Try New Foods Yourself
When introducing a new food to your child, try it in front of them and express your enjoyment. Kids are more likely to try something if they see their parents enjoying it too.
20. Grow a Garden
Get your kids involved in growing their own fruits and veggies. They’ll be more excited to eat something they’ve grown themselves.
21. Make Food Art
Arrange foods into fun shapes or scenes on the plate. Kids love when their food looks like a work of art!
22. Let Them Help in the Kitchen
Involve your kids in age-appropriate meal preparation. They’re more likely to try foods they’ve helped make themselves.
23. Offer Small Portions
Don’t overwhelm their plate with too much new food at once. Start with small portions and let them ask for more if they want it.
24. Pair New Foods with Favorites
Serve new foods alongside familiar favorites. The comfort of the known can make trying new things less intimidating.
25. Create a Reward System (in moderation)
Occasionally, offer a small reward like a sticker or a special activity for trying new foods. But be careful not to overdo it – the goal is to foster a positive relationship with food, not bribery.
26. Stay Positive
Never force, bribe, or punish when it comes to food. Keep mealtimes positive and enjoyable, and praise your child for their efforts.
27. Mix It Up
If your child doesn’t like a food prepared one way, try offering it cooked differently – roasted, sautéed, or blended into a sauce or smoothie.
28. Swap Out Ingredients
If your child doesn’t like a particular ingredient in a dish, try swapping it out for something they do enjoy. Small adjustments can make a big difference.
29. Use Fun Utensils
Let your child use fun, colorful utensils or novelty plates. The novelty factor can make mealtimes more exciting.
30. Make a Game of It
Turn trying new foods into a game – like a scavenger hunt or a guessing game based on flavors or textures.
31. Create a “No Thank You” Bite Rule
Encourage your child to take one “no thank you” bite before deciding if they like a new food or not.
32. Offer a “Special Drink”
Let your child have a special drink, like a small smoothie or flavored milk, alongside their meal. The novelty can make the experience more enjoyable.
33. Start with Familiar Flavors
When introducing new foods, start with flavors your child already enjoys, like cheesy or savory items. Then gradually expand from there.
34. Use Peer Pressure (in a good way!)
If your child sees their friends or siblings enjoying a particular food, they may be more inclined to try it too.
35. Make Meal Prep Fun
Turn meal preparation into a fun, interactive experience with kid-friendly cooking tools and aprons. They’ll be more invested in the process.
36. Take Them Shopping
Let your child pick out new fruits and veggies at the grocery store. They’ll be more excited to try foods they’ve chosen themselves.
37. Keep Trying
Just because your child rejects a food once doesn’t mean they’ll never like it. Keep offering it in different ways, and their tastes may change.
38. Set a Good Example
Kids are more likely to try new foods if they see their parents and siblings enjoying them too. Model the behavior you’d like to see.
39. Mix Textures
Some kids struggle with certain textures, like crunchy or slimy. Try mixing textures, like pairing crunchy veggies with a smooth dip or sauce.
40. Use Fun Plates and Bowls
Invest in some fun, kid-friendly plates and bowls with vibrant colors or character designs. The novelty can make mealtimes more exciting.
Halfway There!
We’ve covered 40 proven picky eater strategies so far, but there are still 23 more to go! Remember, every child is different, so don’t get discouraged if some strategies work better than others. It’s all about finding the right combination that works for your little one.
As we move forward, keep in mind that patience, persistence, and a positive attitude are key. Picky eating is a phase, and with the right approach, your child will eventually expand their palate and develop a healthy relationship with food.
41. Create a Food Passport
Make a “food passport” and let your child collect stickers or stamps for trying new foods from different cultures or cuisines.
42. Have a Grazing Plate
Set out a grazing plate with a variety of healthy snacks and finger foods, letting your child graze and explore at their own pace.
43. Use Peer Examples
Show your child pictures or videos of other kids enjoying the foods you’re trying to introduce. Seeing their peers can be motivating.
44. Try Different Temperatures
Some kids prefer their foods at specific temperatures – try offering the same food warm, cold, or at room temperature to see if they have a preference.
45. Get Them Invested
Let your child pick out recipes and help plan meals. When they’re invested in the process, they’ll be more likely to try the end result.
46. Avoid Distractions
Keep mealtimes focused on the food by avoiding distractions like TV or devices. This can help your child be more present and engaged with their plate.
47. Use Descriptive Language
Instead of simply labeling foods, use descriptive language to spark their curiosity – like “crunchy carrots” or “juicy oranges.”
48. Introduce Foods in Different Forms
If your child doesn’t like a food in its whole form, try offering it pureed, grated, or baked into something else.
49. Get Creative with Presentation
Use fun skewers, cupcake liners, or bento boxes to present foods in an appealing, creative way.
50. Don’t Give Up
It can take a lot of time and effort to expand a picky eater’s palate, but don’t give up! Your persistence and positive attitude will pay off in the long run.
13 More Picky Eater Strategies!
We’re nearing the end, but these last 13 strategies are just as important as the rest. Remember, every child is different, so keep experimenting until you find the right combination that works for your little one.
51. Make Mealtime Fun
Turn mealtimes into a fun, interactive experience by playing music, telling jokes, or engaging in light-hearted conversations. A positive atmosphere can make trying new foods less daunting.
52. Set a Time Limit
Establish a reasonable time limit for meals, like 20-30 minutes. This can help prevent mealtimes from dragging
Here are the remaining picky eater strategies to complete the list of 63:
53. Incorporate Themes
Have themed meals or snacks, like “Rainbow Day” with colorful fruits and veggies or “Dinosaur Lunch” with dinosaur-shaped foods.
54. Avoid Calling Foods “Healthy”
Instead of labeling foods as “healthy,” use more appealing descriptors like “crunchy,” “sweet,” or “cheesy.”
55. Offer Foods in Unexpected Ways
Surprise your child by offering a familiar food in an unexpected way, like “ants on a log” (celery with nut butter and raisins).
56. Tap Into Their Interests
Incorporate your child’s current interests or favorite characters into mealtimes. For example, serve “Paw Patrol” pancakes or arrange veggies into their favorite animal shapes.
57. Take Breaks
If mealtimes become too stressful, it’s okay to take a break and try again later. Forcing the issue can create negative associations with food.
58. Avoid Food Rewards
While occasional rewards can be motivating, avoid using food as a reward too often, as this can reinforce unhealthy habits.
59. Hide It in Plain Sight
Blend or puree veggies into sauces, soups, or baked goods for a stealthy way to incorporate more nutrients.
60. Keep Meals Consistent
While variety is important, try to keep some elements of meals consistent, like serving the same side dish or drink, to provide a sense of familiarity.
61. Offer Multiple Small Meals
Instead of three large meals, try offering smaller meals and snacks throughout the day, as some kids do better with more frequent, smaller portions.
62. Consult a Professional
If picky eating persists beyond a typical phase or you have concerns about your child’s growth or nutrient intake, don’t hesitate to consult a pediatrician, dietitian, or feeding therapist.
63. Be Patient and Keep Trying
Overcoming picky eating takes time, patience, and persistence. Keep offering new foods in a positive, low-pressure way, and celebrate even the smallest victories.
3 Frequently Asked Questions about Picky Eating
Q: What if my child refuses to try a new food?
A: Don’t force it! Simply remove the food without making a big deal about it, and try offering it again another time. Forcing can create negative associations and make picky eating worse.
Q: How long should I keep offering a food my child doesn’t like?
A: It can take up to 15-20 exposures before a child accepts a new food, so be patient and keep offering it in different ways. Eventually, their curiosity may get the better of them!
Q: Should I use rewards or bribes to get my child to eat?
A: While rewards can work in the short term, it’s best to avoid using them as a long-term strategy. Focus instead on fostering a positive relationship with food and praising your child for their efforts.
Q: What if my child only wants to eat the same few foods?
A: It’s common for picky eaters to stick to a few safe foods. Try introducing new foods gradually and offering them alongside familiar favourites. With time and patience, their food horizons will expand.
Q: When should I be concerned about picky eating?
A: If picky eating persists beyond the typical phase, or if you notice signs of nutrient deficiencies or failure to gain weight, consult your pediatrician or a feeding specialist for guidance.
It takes time and patience
Dealing with a picky eater can be frustrating, but remember, it’s a phase that most children go through. With patience, consistency, and a positive approach, you can help your child develop a healthy relationship with food.
The key is to make mealtimes enjoyable, involve your child in the process, and keep introducing new foods in a fun and non-confrontational way. Don’t forget to celebrate small victories and trust that your perseverance will pay off.
Implementing these 63 proven picky eater strategies will not only help your child expand their palate but also foster a lifelong love for nutritious foods. So, take a deep breath, mama – you’ve got this! With a little creativity and a lot of love, your picky eater will soon be a healthy eater.