Tips for Parents of Fussy and Picky Eaters

I wished that I had a magic wand at the dinner table that I could wave over my toddler and suddenly the plate was clear. Oh well, I can always wish. I was not prepared for the picky eating stage and to be honest it drove me crazy.

It is frustrating when you take your time to prepare new foods and even foods that you know are a definite hit and they refuse to eat. It can be confusing and stressful as you don’t know if they are getting enough nutrients and calories to sustain them.

8 Tips for Parents of Picky Eaters

Is your kid a picky eater? Do your children fight eating the food you make every mealtime? Here are 8 tips for parents who have fussy eater

1.EAT AS A FAMILY

Sit down together at the dining room table and make mealtimes a family affair. DO NOT sit in front of the TV.

Make sure that the toddler has a comfortable chair. I found that they preferred the booster seat tied to the “big people chairs” to a normal high-chair.

“This is not a hotel; you eat whatever is served” I found myself repeating this phrase over and over during mealtimes. Try to avoid making another meal for them, as the cycle will just keep repeating itself. Keep the food aside and try again later since they might not be hungry.

Toddlers learn by observing and will always do what you do rather than what you say.

2.NO DISTRATIONS AT THE TABLE

No TV, No Phones, No Tablets, Toys, books at the table be on during mealtimes.

Take this time to catch up with each other. TV and digital media really create a distraction. These distractions make them not be actively eating and like they are on autopilot.

It is just a bad habit that will be hard to stop once they are used to it.

3.NO FIGHT

I know!! I know!! Easier said than done. I must hide my face 🙈🙈 and admit that I used to bring the food to the table together with a stick which I used to threaten my toddler to eat. Like seriously what was that? 🙈🙈🙈

Don’t make mealtime a fighting zone. It is important for them to have a positive association with mealtimes. If they won’t eat what you have provided, don’t argue with them, just let them know they will have to wait until the next meal. No empty snacks.

Be casual, don’t let them sense that you are upset or stressed. Do not beg, bribe, offer rewards, force, or distract them. It is not easy. Put the food in front of them and allow them to decide how much and whether they eat it.

4. SET A TIME LIMIT

I have seen toddlers that take over 1 hour to eat. Make sure you set a time limit for how long you will give them to eat their food. Saw this tip online and it changed my life. After around 20 minutes, if they have not eaten they probably not going to. Do not make them a new meal just wait for the next scheduled mealtime. If they are hungry they will eat.

Toddlers wont starve themselves.

5. LIMIT THE SNACKS

Try not to give your child anything to eat or drink, except water, for at least 2 hours before the meal. Toddlers eat better when they are hungry. Two snacks a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon are more than enough.

Try and encourage an eating routine and distract them with play and toys to avoid eating out of boredom.

Their stomach is only the size of their fists. A small portion of snacks and water is enough to keep them to the next meal.

Minimize the number of snacks which should be treated as meals that you sit down for. Serve milk and Juice with meals and water for in between meals. These tend to be filling and tend to spoil the appetite.

6.MAKE FOOD FUN

The idea of using food to make smiley silly faces and cut fruits into stars made me roll my eyes but it was a game-changer. The fun and silliness of it is appealing to the toddlers and they will eat or at least be willing to try it out. Get your child a colorful and bright placemat. You could get one that features your child’s favorite TV character.

Cutlery with their favourite characters e.g. frozen or paw patrol might make meal times fun. Plates with separate compartments can be great for fussy eaters. 

7. INVOLVE THEM IN THE FOOD PREPARATION

Toddlers love to feel involved and getting them to help in the food preparation is a sure win. Ask them what they want for dinner and prepare it with them.

You can even take them to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. Make your time together in the kitchen fun. They can help in stirring, breaking the eggs, pouring liquids etc.  This will get them excited to eat the finished product.

8.NO BRIBES OR REWARDS

 We have been guilty of bribing the little ones into eating something. I can hear myself saying “ Please eat and you will get more time on your tablet”

By offering bribes we turn eating into a behaviour. Not eating is bad behaviour and eating is good behaviour. Eating is about level of hunger and our different tastebuds. This is what we should concentrate on.

Eating is just eating. Do not give incentives for eating.

CONCLUSION:

-Remember to keep calm and maintain your cool. Getting frustrated and fighting at mealtimes will only make them associate food with negativity.

 Research has shown that not pressuring kids to eat is a simple and powerful strategy that teaches your child how to have a healthy relationship with food throughout their entire life

-Make mealtimes fun and add new foods gradually.

-Offering the same food to your toddler over and over again gets them used to the food and are more willing to try it. Don’t tire of repetition.

All the best parents and Good Luck xoxo