Is Your Kid a Picky Eater?
Shannon Szeles RDN, Mama of 2
So this is a topic I have been wanting to write about for awhile. Picky eating, “selective eating” or whatever you want to call it. I want to tell you about our journey, how we got here and some things I try to do to break us ALL out of the cycle.
There are several things I have done that I know FOR SURE have contributed to my kids (particularly my oldest) being selective eaters.
Making them the same foods EVERY DAY. To me, it has felt very much like a “Steve Jobs” decision, meaning it took the decision-making completely OUT of the equation. I got tired of making decisions for my kids based on what they would eat for the next meal… only for them to say “EW!” or “I’m not eating that!” That gets REALLY old, REALLY fast and through the pandemic, I just wanted to make life EASIER and less confrontational. So I’ve been making them the same things for breakfast and lunch almost every day.
Being a short order cook has almost become a way of life for me. If it’s a new food that my husband and I will definitely be eating, we often cook a completely separate food for our kids to have – usually chicken nuggets. This perpetuates the cycle of new foods being “scary” and comfort foods being “safe.”
The problem with these things is they get used to those foods so much that they become nervous when presented with new or different foods. The constant foods feel safe to them. This can place a limiting belief on trying new foods.
Yes I know… I’m a dietitian, I know better. But eliminating the fight was so much easier than spending time on a new meal, only to have it shot down and not eaten. It was causing me stress that they weren’t eating enough of the “right” foods which, for us, were protein foods. My kids are big veggie and fruit eaters so I haven’t been worried about that.
The solution?
There are lots of strategies to implement and here are a few.
Think about saying “We had that for lunch yesterday. It is not on the menu today. But we can have it again in a couple of days. X or Y are on the menu today, which one would you like us to have?”
Get them INVOLVED in the process – have them help prep the veggies, stir the sauce, or stir the protein item.
Pair NEW foods with foods they are familiar with and don’t overwhelm them with large portion sizes. If you tried a new chicken recipe, place one bite of chicken on their plate. But pair it with usual foods they are comfortable with.
Adding sprinkles = Adding MAGIC! Sprinkles can be SO much more than the rainbow or chocolate kind. In our houses, we also use “Cheetah Sprinkles” (aka chia seeds), “Polar Bear Sprinkles” (aka hemp seeds), shaky or shredded cheese.
Try New and & FUN shapes – crinkle cutters are SO easy and SO fun to get kids to eat foods they wouldn’t normally eat. Also fun cookie cutters can turn an ordinary PB&J into something NEW and MAGICAL.
Eat together as a family and Be A ROLE MODEL. Kids who see their parents eating a variety of foods are more likely to try these foods as well because they become normalized.
EXPOSURE is key – how can we try something new if we aren’t given the opportunity to try it?
Either way, picky eating can be a frustrating phase for parents. Know that you are not alone, it is developmentally normal, and this phase will end. You are doing great!
Xoxo
Shan