While all parents want their children to eat a healthy and varied diet, the reality is that many children are picky eaters. They tend to whine, cry, or simply refuse food they don't like. It's important that you don't give in to this kind of behavior if you want your child to eat and enjoy a variety of foods. This article will show you how to get your child to eat almost anything-just see Step 1 below to get started.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Developing Good Habits
Step 1. Understand the importance of developing good habits
Children learn from an early age and are highly impressionable through routine and the introduction of good habits. As your child gets used to experimenting with new foods and experiences, you'll find that it's easier to broaden their horizons and develop their tastes.
Step 2. Force the child to eat at the table
One of the best habits you can teach your children is to always eat at the dinner table. Do not let them eat in front of the television or alone in the room.
- Let children know that if they want to eat, they must sit at the table. Tell them that they can't watch TV or play outside until they've finished all the food served in front of them.
- If they don't want to eat, have them sit at the table for a while, then let them go. However, do not give snacks or make other foods. They must learn that they will starve unless they eat the food served.
Step 3. Eat without distractions
Mealtime should be an opportunity for families to sit down and talk to each other. Avoid the TV or radio running in the background, or allowing your child to play with their phone or video games while eating.
- Once children accept the fact that there should be no distractions during mealtimes, they will be more willing to sit at the table and finish the plate quickly.
- Avoiding distractions at the dinner table also provides an opportunity to find out how your child is doing, to ask questions about school, about their friends and life in general.
Step 4. Establish a routine
It's a good idea to establish a firm routine of eating and snacking, as your child will know when it's time to eat and will be hungry enough to eat when it's time.
- For example, you could offer three heavy meals and two snacks per day. Other than the pre-arranged meal times, don't allow your child to eat anything-just give them water.
- This will ensure your child is hungry enough and willing to eat when it's time, no matter what you serve them.
Step 5. Introduce new foods along with favorite foods
When introducing a new food, serve it with one of your child's favorites. For example, try serving broccoli with mashed potatoes, or lettuce along with a slice of pizza.
- Serving new foods with old favorites will help your child accept the new food and make them more enthusiastic about sitting at the table from the start.
- For more resistant children, you can make it a rule that they will only be allowed to eat their favorite food (such as pizza) when they have finished their new food (such as lettuce).
Step 6. Reduce the number of snacks your child eats
If your child is quite picky, try reducing the number of snacks they have per day. This is expected to create an appetite and appetite for a variety of foods.
- Children who get lots of snacks between meals may not feel hungry when it's time to eat and so won't want to try new foods.
- Limit snacks to just two or three per day, and try to snack on healthy ones, such as apple slices, yogurt, or a handful of nuts.
Part 2 of 3: Making Mealtime Fun
Step 1. Try to make mealtime fun and interactive
Mealtimes should be fun and interactive. Meals shouldn't stress you all out, or always end with your child crying or complaining about something they don't want to eat. Eating should be a pleasant experience for everyone at the table.
- Compare the tastes of different foods (fish is savory, cheese is soft, etc.), talk about different colors (orange carrots, green brussels sprouts, purple beets, etc.), or have your child guess the taste of a particular food based on its smell.
- You can also try to present the food in an interesting way. For example, you can make a face shape on a child's plate, using spaghetti for hair, meatballs for eyes, carrots for nose and tomato sauce for mouth.
Step 2. Prepare meals with the child
Involve the child in preparing the food and discuss why you put certain ingredients together, in terms of taste and color. Involved in the cooking process will make children feel more curious to taste the final result.
- Another way to keep children interested and involved in the food preparation process is to allow them to grow or pick their own food. For example, you could try growing your own tomatoes and give your child the responsibility to water them every day and check if the tomatoes are ripe.
- You can also take your kids to a farmer's garden and let them pick apples and other fruit on their own. This will make them more excited to eat it.
Step 3. Offer a gift
If your child doesn't want to try certain foods, try offering small gifts. If they promise to eat everything on their plate, you can give them a small dessert after the meal, or take them to a fun place, like the park or visit a friend.
Step 4. Pay attention to what you tell the child
One of the mistakes that many parents make is telling their children that eating certain foods will make them big, healthy and strong.
- While this can sometimes be effective in getting children to eat, it gives the impression that eating is something children have to do, not something they should enjoy.
- Instead, try to focus on all the delicious and varied flavors of the food. Teach children to enjoy mealtimes and welcome opportunities to try new things. Once your child is excited to eat and try new foods, they will want to eat almost anything you put them in front of!
Part 3 of 3: Enforcing Eating Rules
Step 1. Set firm rules for meal times
Strict rules will give structure to mealtimes and help you expand your child's appetite. For example, one of the most important rules you can set is: everyone must eat what is served, or at least try. Don't let your child refuse certain foods if they haven't even tried them.
- Make sure children are aware that there are no substitutes if they don't eat what is in front of them.
- Giving in to your child's tears and emotional outbursts will not help you achieve your goals. Be patient and stick to your rules, and the results will follow.
Step 2. Set a good example for children
Children look up to parents for many reasons, including what you eat and how you treat certain foods.
- If you don't eat a certain type of food or show a displeased expression when you eat something you don't like, how can you expect your child to eat it? Let your child know that eating rules apply to everyone, not just them.
- Therefore, you should try to be a good example by eating what your child eats, when the child eats it.
Step 3. Do not pressure the child to eat
In terms of eating, you as a parent determine what will be served, when it is served and where. After that, it is up to the child whether they will eat it or not.
- If your child chooses not to eat what you serve, don't force them to eat-this will only make the child more resistant and stress you out even more. However, you should never offer to make your child his favorite food, as this will reduce the urge to try something new.
- Do not allow the child to eat again until the next meal is served. This will teach children not to be too picky about what they eat-there's a saying that "hunger is the best sauce."
Step 4. Be patient
Children will not learn to accept and like new foods overnight. Trying food is a habit that must be formed, just like any other habit. Be patient and don't give up in your efforts to teach children how and why they should eat a healthy and varied diet.
- Remember to allow enough time for the child to accept the new food. Don't just try one food at a time, then give up if your child says he doesn't like it.
- Serve a new food as part of the menu at least three times before you give up-it may take some time to warm up before your child realizes they actually like the new food.
Step 5. Don't punish children if they don't want to eat
Don't punish your child for refusing certain foods-this can make them even more reluctant to eat them.
- Instead, explain calmly to your child that they won't be given anything until the next meal, and that they will be very hungry if they don't eat now.
- Make it clear that hunger is a child's decision-they are not punished. If you stick with this technique, your child will eventually give up and eat whatever is presented to them.
