Just About Everything

Mealtime battles that pit picky eaters against parents are stressful and all to common. But by including your child in the mealtime selection and preparation process and following some simple tips, your picky eater may be raising the white flag sooner than you think.

1. Remember that when you are trying to introduce stubborn toddlers to foreign fruits and vegetables, magic may not happen the first around. Prepare to introduce the new food a number of times, and in several different recipes. (Think baby carrots and ranch dressing, cooked carrots with sweet potatoes and raisins or thinly sliced carrots rolled into a wrap sandwich).

2. Offer healthy options only. This way, kids get to choose what they want, but you will be happy with any outcome. Also don’t enforce the clean plate rule. Kids will let you know when they are full, and forcing down a plate of food can lead to eventual overeating.

3. Involve your kids in the shopping and cooking processes. Picking out the reddest, juiciest apples and a fun, new “surprise” fruit or vegetable every week will make kids excited to eat what they pick.

4. Make each meal a colorful experience. Kids will find that eating foods in a rainbow of colors is much more fun than a bland bowl of buttered noodles.

5. Be a good role model. Kids watch what mom and dad eat, so if you are avoiding your leafy greens, so will they.

*Melanie Wagner