Imagine you’ve had a really busy day at work, running errands, cleaning the house and preparing dinner for the family. You finally sit down at the dinner table to eat with your family and you hear from across the table, ‘I don’t like this’ before the food has even been looked at. What do you do? I am sure that any parent/guardian out there doesn’t need to imagine this situation because it’s probably happened a dozen times. We understand that at that moment, you probably feel like flipping the table and crying but we do not recommend this approach. We have compiled some tips and tricks to get those fussy eaters eating!
1) Consistency
Don’t serve up broccoli once and when it is rejected, you avoid it like the plague. This will just encourage kids to avoid eating certain foods in the hopes that it will never return. Try cooking it in different ways such as steaming or baking while also adding it to different recipes
2) Role model
Remember that you are their role model. If you also avoid the broccoli on your plate, then they will follow suit. You can’t expect your kids to eat a healthy balanced diet if they see their role models eating only junk food.
3) Variety
Having a variety of foods on the plate not only makes it more colourful but also gives kids different flavours and textures. It is best to have some of their favourite foods on the plate with something new to try, that way it isn’t too overwhelming for them.
4)Distract
When the little ones start fussing and complaining that they don’t like their food, distract them. Ask them an unrelated question like ‘how was school?’ or ‘was your homework difficult?’. By focusing on something else, your children will become distracted and focus less on the food in front of them and simply just eat it.
5) Get them involved!
When children are involved in the process of food preparation and cooking, they will be more inclined to try the food and like it. Not only is cooking a very important life skill for your children to learn but it can aid those fussy eaters.
Remember that never giving up is the key to overcoming fussy eating habits!
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If you like reading our blogs, here is a previous on preparing healthy snacks for youngsters!
https://www.childcaremalta.mt/snacks-healthy/