Continued from Newsletter: Some Practical Advice for Feeding Picky Eaters
VEGETABLES
Have expectations that match a child’s age and stage. Remember that a child’s stomach is as big as their fist. That translates into about two tablespoons of vegetables equaling a serving for a two-year-old.
Blend a bit of greens into smoothies made from fruit and yogurt. Or blend in flax or wheat germ.
Make homemade sauce to use on pizza or pasta. Add shredded carrots, a few greens, squash to thicken, or anything that will blend into the tomato base. Make big batches and freeze it in one- or two-cup quantities so that just enough for one meal can be thawed at a time.
Peas are a popular food with children—frozen, thawed, or cooked; by themselves or mixed with pasta or rice.
Toddlers love to pick up and eat frozen vegetables.
Make homemade vegetable stock for use in soups or other recipes that call for any broth or stock. Make large batches on a weekend and freeze in one-cup portions.
Cut up vegetables in new and exciting ways. For example, carrots can be cut up into coins or sticks.
Grow your own vegetables. It’s so wonderful and fun for kids to eat veggies right off the plant.
VEGETABLES AND MORE…
Advice exists for both letting children learn to listen to their bodies and eat whenever they are hungry, and establishing a family rhythm of regular snacks and meals. Decide what works best for your family and work to make it as child-friendly as possible (a low shelf with access to kid snacks for the first option; small servings of varied foods spaced no more than two or two and a half hours apart, to preserve the appetite for mealtimes, for the second option).
We’ve all heard that it takes many, many times for a child to “accept” a food that is new to them. Be patient but quietly persistent in offering the same food. Know that refusal may occur but don’t make a big deal about it. Simply offer it another time.
Reframing a food with a new name can go a long way. Instead of “oatmeal”, serve “porridge” like they ate in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, perhaps even telling the story before or during the meal. Or serve thinly sliced apple moons, banana wheels, broccoli trees (steamed broccoli florets), or cheese blocks.
Cut sandwiches into fun shapes with a cookie cutter or a knife. Experiment with different presentations of the same food.
Have the children help with preparing the menu. Don’t ask, “What do you want to eat?” This is too big of a question to ask a small child; it gives them a responsibility they are not ready for. If you’re going to provide a choice, provide the framework in which the choice can be made. Ask, “Would you like the vegetable lasagna or the homemade pizza for dinner tonight?” When the meal is decided upon, the children can help shop for the ingredients.
Have the children help with preparing the food. Even small children can scrub a carrot, slice up a soft food like a banana, sprinkle cheese, hold and pour a measuring cup full of ingredients, stir batter in a bowl, etc. In this way children can take more ownership of a food and be more likely to eat it.
Children love to dip and eat. Try this with vegetables and hummus (or a quick homemade cheese sauce or easy dressing or guacamole), fruit and yogurt, pretzels and nut butter. The same dips can also be used as topping or spreads to make a new food more appealing.
If you are providing less processed and more nutrient-dense food for your children, trust that they are getting what they need. Instead of looking at what they eat in the course of a day, broaden your view to include the whole week.
Expect a bite or two or whatever is reasonable for your child of each new food. Serve small at first and serve seconds upon request.
Don’t be a short order cook. Honor the “family” aspect of the family meal by eating the same food together (whenever possible).
At each meal, include something you know the child will definitely like.
Dr. Sears advises having the child sit at a child-sized table or chair to eat. The reason is that children naturally want to move around, and therefore be more distracted from eating, if their feet are dangling—like they can in an adult-sized chair.
Expect inconsistency in a child’s preferences. This is part of their finding independence.
Relax! Don’t nag! Refrain from instilling fear and negative feelings around food and mealtimes.