Handling Picky Eaters

Does your child want to live on a restricted diet of a chosen few things? Or refuses to try anything new? Picky eaters can be frustrating. But their quirks and preferences aren’t entirely arbitrary. Simply stated, your child’s taste perceptions may differ from yours. Being a picky eater can be a natural state for young children.

Babies are born with an instinctive desire for sweet and salty foods, and an instinctive aversion to sour and bitter tastes. These instincts are a trait left over from our "caveman" days. Back then, the reflex to reject sour-bitter foods served as a survival mechanism so that youngsters wouldn't wander off and nibble on poisonous plants and berries – many of which are not sweet. Today, however, this reflex is one of the key reasons so many kids become picky eaters and shun fruits and vegetables.

Luckily, kids can eventually overcome this tendency by being repeatedly exposed to foods they initially reject. JUST BE PATIENT.

Based on our hands-on experience, Momsters suggests tactics to tempt little taste buds and minimize mealtime hassles.

 


• The Earlier the Better:

  It's important to expose your child to healthy fruits and vegetables at a young age. Food preferences that children develop in their early years remain fairly stable and are reflected by the food choices they make in later childhood.

• Offer a Nibble Tray

Children like to graze their way through a variety of foods, so why not offer them a customized smorgasbord? Anything from an ice-cube tray, a muffin tin, or a compartmentalized dish works. Put bite-size portions of colorful and nutritious foods in each section. Call these finger foods playful names that little ones can appreciate, such as Apple moons (thinly sliced), Avocado boats (a quarter of an avocado), Banana wheels, Broccoli trees (steamed broccoli florets), Carrot swords (cooked and thinly sliced), Cheese building blocks, Egg canoes (hard- boiled egg wedges) or Little O's (o-shaped cereal). Place the food on an easy-to-reach table. As your toddler makes his rounds through the house, he can stop, sit down, nibble a bit, and, when he's done, continue on his way. Ensure these foods have a table-life of an hour or two.

• Be a Role Model

Studies show that children's food preferences are significantly related to foods that their mothers liked, disliked, and never tasted. So, the more excitement and enjoyment you express about fruits and vegetables, the more likely your child will want to eat them too!               

• Prepare Healthy food & keep a track of calories: 

Small modifications in the way you prepare meals and snacks can make a big difference in improving your child's diet: Bake instead of fry, choose foods with whole grain or whole wheat instead of refined grains, give your child water or low-fat or skim milk instead of juice or soda, etc. Offer your child foods that pack lots of nutrition into small doses. Incorporate nutrition-dense food into their menu viz. Avocados, Pasta, Broccoli, Peanut butter, Grains, Potatoes, Cheese, Poultry, Eggs, Fish, Tofu, Yogurt, etc.