Dealing with Picky Eaters!

After a long, hard day at work, it is so much easier to pull out those coupons and order pizza or drive through McDonald’s.  The last thing parents want to do is deal with their children not wanting to eat a healthy meal.  However, eating nutritious food does not have to be a battle we fight with our children every night.  Below you will find some tips for dealing with your picky eating children.

• First and foremost – Be a good role model for your children.  If you don’t want to eat the broccoli or spinach you made, don’t expect your children to want to eat it either!

• Start by introducing the healthy foods your child enjoys to eat.  For example:  add a banana to their healthy cereal in the morning, add blueberries to their pancakes, or add steamed veggies over rice.

• Allow your kids to go grocery shopping with you.  Give them a list they can follow while going through the store.  Children will feel they have ownership of the meal if they are with you when you purchase and cook the meal.

• Don’t buy the unhealthy chips, cookies, candy, etc.  If the snacks aren’t in the house to eat, you won’t want to eat them.

• Don’t make your kids clean their plate.  Your children know when they are full; allow them to stop eating.  As adults, we were raised to clean our plates.  In turn, we are eating too large of portions.  If your plate has 3 servings of buttery mashed potatoes, you don’t want to eat them all

• Allow an occasional cookie or scoop of ice cream (as a treat).  Teach your children to eat their treats in moderation (and understand these foods are treats and not a part of a healthy daily diet)!