Parent usually experience their children turn into picky eaters when they hit the preschool age. Kids at this age try to assert their independence and yet crave routine so they usually don’t want to try anything new when it comes to eating
(healthy) foods.
photo via: medicmagic.net
It is natural for parents to worry what their children eat – and don’t eat. While eating peanut butter sandwiches morning, noon and night won’t make your child malnourished (well, not at least immediately), most of the time they get a variety of nutrition in their diets over the week, in the form of milk, juices and fruits.
Here are some tips to encourage eating in your picky child and have him try out a variety of foods:
1. Respect your child’s appetite. If he isn’t hungry, do not force your child to eat. Do not throw a fit or bribe and threaten. It will only create anxiety in your child and he might associate meal times as unpleasant experiences
and would likely avoid it altogether.
2. Make sure your child is hungry during meal times. If you want to make your child eat with you during dinner, make sure she doesn’t take her milk or any snack a few hours before meal times. It will help her look forward to eating come main meals.
3. Make it fun. Children are visual beings. They are attracted to bright colors, smooth textures and pleasantly arranged food items. Cut foods into various shapes and sizes.
4. Be patient in introducing new food. Experts say that it will take at least ten exposures to a dish before a child is comfortable eating it and eventually liking it. Do not force her to eat it, just continue to serve it every meal times, first with food that she usually eats, and one by one eliminating them so she can deal with eating the one dish she usually
doesn’t eat.
It’s worth putting some effort in trying to make our children try out new food, especially in the mornings when they need to eat breakfast before going to school. Be open to foods that aren’t traditional breakfast items — like a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich, a piece of apple and yoghurt and even cookies — if that’s what your child prefers.
Agatha is a content writer who loves blogging and photography. She also writes articles about gulvafslibning , floor sanding and other home improvement projects.
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