Do you have picky eaters? Are you struggling to get your kids to eat healthy, try new foods, or eat their meals? Keep reading for 10 TIPS FOR PICKY EATERS and learn to make your meal times easier.
I’m far from a perfect parent, but one thing I have managed to figure out to-at least to some degree- is how to avoid the dreaded picky eater.
While my children will all go through mild “picky stages”, it’s never been too much of an issue, and with just a few exceptions will eat almost anything I put in front of them, and eat a lot!
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So today, I thought I’d share with you my 10 tips for picky eaters, and getting kids to eat healthy food:
VIDEO: 10 TIPS FOR PICKY EATERS | HOW TO GET KIDS TO EAT HEALTHY FOOD
10 TIPS FOR PICKY EATERS
Tip #1: Don’t make them a separate meal
I know this can sound a little mean, but as busy moms we just don’t have the time to cater to every single individuals preferences!
It may even be tempting to make a separate meal because it feels like less work than getting your children to sit there and EAT THEIR FOOD!
But in the long-haul, is this something that is both beneficial to you and your children?
If they are hungry, they’ll eat it. And if they refuse to eat it, save it for later. When they are hungry and want a snack later on, have them eat their meal first and then they can have a snack!
Tip #2: Find healthy substitutions to their favorite foods
Finding a healthy substitution to your child’s favorite snack or meal that they love just as much can be key to getting your kids to eat healthy foods, especially if you are working on improving their diet and taking the “junk food” out.
I put together the CONVERTING THE PICKY EATER CHEAT SHEET to help you do just this. It lists some of my family’s favorite healthy substitutions and brands for everything from cookies to pasta. You can download and print it here:
Tip #3: Don’t make a huge deal about the meal
I’ve learned to not talk to much about what I’m making for dinner. I never promise them anything or talk anything up. Instead, I just sort of cook and then call them when it is ready, we sit down, and we eat.
If you make a big deal about a meal ahead of time, or tell them that they have to eat their food, it can raise stress levels and expectations and cause children to act out more.
Just keep it chill and have a fun time together around the table!
Pin PICKY EATERS for later!
Tip #4: Serve dips and sauces with your meals and snacks
Kids LOVE to dip their food in things. Use this to your advantage! Ranch, BBQ sauce, ketchup mayonnaise… the healthy versions that is!
This is our favorite organic bbq sauce.
This is an amazing paleo approved Ranch and salad dressings.
Tip #5: Let you kids help in the kitchen
I know how this can be hard sometimes if you’re a bit stressed or in a hurry, but it’s a huge payback.
Children love to be involved and in return want to eat the food that they helped make.
Let them pour ingredients into the bowl, help stir, ladle things into dishes. You can even have some safety child knives that they can use to help cut up the soft veggies or fruit .
Tip #6: Offer an “incentive” (also known as a bribe) 😉
I try not to do this too often. But sometimes children need a little encouragement and something to look forward to, just like adults.
Don’t bribe them with sugary treats, but simply let them know that when they finish their meal there will be something they enjoy. Maybe a piece of fruit or some raisins and that usually does the trick!
Tips #7: Serve small portions
I usually just put a small portion of each thing on their plate. Then I let them finish that and if they want more I’ll give them a little more of what they enjoyed.
Try not to load their plate up because it can be pretty overwhelming to them of how much they have to eat, especially if its something they don’t like that much.
It’s so simple, yet makes such a difference!
Tip #8: Don’t give snacks
This tip may not be applicable to every person in your family at all times.
If you have toddlers or little one in the house, they may need to eat frequently. I know when my kids are little they will have melt downs if they don’t have food in their bellies every couple hours! Especially when they are really active and going through big growth spurts.
But I have tried to make our snack time a bit more like meal times, where we either sit at the table to eat them or go outside together and eat them.
As your kids get older it will get easier to not have snacks or not as many snacks because you want them to be hungry at meal times.
Tip #9: Make food FUN!
My kids love finger food, anything they can pick up and eat with their hands or arrange themselves on their plates. Things like ants on a log- I’ll spread the PB on the celery and let them place the raisins on the “log”.
Anything that is a bit more fun or cute and interactive is usually more enjoyable for them.
Tip #10: Disguise vegetables
I use this tip sparingly because I do want my kids to like and enjoy vegetables and their whole form as well.
But I will sometimes do this, especially if I have a child that is going through a pickier stage.
For example: I’ll steam up a big pot of broccoli and then put it in my VitaMix with marinara and blend it all up and use it for spaghetti sauce.
Or, I might blend up things like carrots or beets and put them in homemade muffins, or even add some kale and/or cucumber to our smoothies! If your kids are really picky, just make sure it doesn’t change the color of the smoothie.
Also, VEGGIE POPSICLES! Grab some good quality juice and then blend/juice some veggies and mix it in and freeze! (sometimes I even just throw in some barley grass powder)
I hope these are some fun and helpful tips for you and your family. Of course, each kid and every family is different so you’ll have to adjust as you need to, but these are things that my kids seem to work well with.
I’d love to hear what tips work best for getting your picky eaters to eat healthy food!
Best of luck, mama!
