How to Deal With A Picky Eater

Dealing with picky eating habits in your little ones can be challenging. You want them to eat healthy and grow strong, but they may refuse to eat certain foods or entire food groups and only want to eat the same things over and over again. Often, you may find yourself giving in to what your kid wants just to get them to eat.

While it’s okay to let your kid have what they want once in a while, it’s crucial to aim for balance. If you have a picky eater on your hands, the following tips may help introduce healthy eating habits to your kid.

Involve your kid in the meal prep

Involving kids in food preparation can help them develop healthy eating habits. A study conducted in 2018 found that kids who spent experiential time with fruits and vegetables by cooking and baking with them and even growing a garden were more likely to pick healthy snacks than kids who didn’t have the same exposure to these food groups.¹

You can replicate this at home by letting your kid assist in the kitchen or taking them to the supermarket to pick out ingredients.

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Apply a food rotation rule

Encourage your kid to try new foods by avoiding repetition. Offer different meals each day. If your kid requests a specific food, say, “You had chicken for dinner yesterday, but today, you can try fish. If you still want chicken, you have it for lunch tomorrow.” This way, your kid will develop a habit of exploring new food options.

Start very small

Start with just a tiny amount of the new food, like two pieces of peas or a piece of broccoli. You can encourage your kid by telling them it’s a very small amount and that they could finish it in one second. You can then reward your kid with food that they already enjoy. Over time, you can gradually increase the amount of the new food and remove the reward food.

Another tactic is introducing a new food alongside one your kid already likes. For instance, you could serve their favorite chicken nuggets with a side of hummus for dipping. By pairing the new food with something your child is already familiar with, they may be more willing to try it out.

Make snack plates

Some picky eaters may get overwhelmed by a plate full of food. In such cases, it’s a good idea to offer small portions of food in separate bowls on a tray or board. This can help your kid feel more in control of what they eat and encourage them to try different foods.

Be patient

It’s crucial to be patient with picky eaters. Instead of getting frustrated or angry when your kid refuses to eat something, it’s better to try serving the same food again at future meals. Research shows that kids are more likely to try a new vegetable after it has been presented to them a few times.²

However, it’s crucial to avoid being too pushy or forcing them to eat something they don’t like. This could backfire and make them more resistant to trying new foods in the future, negatively impacting your kid’s relationship with food. Instead, create a positive and relaxed atmosphere around mealtimes, where your kid can feel comfortable and open to trying new things.

Reversing picky eating habits takes time, but it’s important to give your kid a chance to try new food repeatedly, even if they don’t like them at first. This can help them develop a taste for a wider variety of foods. Then, supplement your efforts with Wyeth ASCENDA® Kid to get your kid back on track with their height and weight milestones. Your kid’s growth today is their advantage tomorrow. So, unleash the ASCENDA® effect today!

Resources:
1. Kähkönen, Kaisa, et al. “Sensory-Based Food Education in Early Childhood Education and Care, Willingness to Choose and Eat Fruit and Vegetables, and the Moderating Role of Maternal Education and Food Neophobia.” Public Health Nutrition 21.13 (2018): 2443–2453. Web.

2. Masento, Natalie A. et al. “See and Eat! The impact of repeated exposure to vegetable ebooks on young children’s vegetable acceptance.” Appetite. Volume 182, 2023, 106447, ISSN 0195-6663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2022.106447.

3. Based on the Oral Nutritional Supplementation combined with dietary counseling promotes growth, nutritional adequacy, and is well accepted in toddlers experiencing growth concerns clinical study by Samuels et al in 2023.