The transition to toddler-hood can bring a lot of changes, especially when it comes to food. When ‘no’ becomes your toddler’s new favorite word, getting them to eat nutritional food might be challenging.
It may help to know that going through a picky-eating phase is normal and common for most children. Our pediatricians have listed down some tips to help your picky eater enjoy the food you cook:
- Let Your Child Help Decide The Meal
Children are often willing to try a new food if they’re involved in growing it, picking it, or cooking it. Grocery shopping might be an enjoyable experience where the array of colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables look fascinating.
Involving your child in grocery shopping food and menu planning will not only give them an essential role in planning family meals but will also get them interested in trying healthy food. Children tend to eat better when they have a say. Try to include a favorite fruit or vegetable or a preferred dish to boosts your child’s enthusiasm.
- Try To Be Innovative In The Kitchen
Children are all about fun. For picky eaters, try to make the food as fun and creative as possible. You can use cookie cutters for different shaped sandwiches, use raisins to make eyes and a smile for a boring bowl of oatmeal, make a rainbow out of colorful vegetables, or even use fun character cutlery to give the food a new and inviting look.
When serving the food, be sure to pass positive remarks. Something like, “That looks so delicious!” will urge your curious child to try it out. When you push vegetables at the side of the plate or keep it for the end, your child will notice and show the least interest in that food.
- Stop Forcing Them To Eat
Adults and children both tend to dislike food that they are forced to eat. Studies report that children who were more pressured to eat by their parents ended up consuming a lesser amount of healthy food as compared to junk snacks.
Pressuring children to eat food they dislike does not only create a sense of tension at mealtimes but can also damage the parent-child relationship.
Mealtime should be a pleasant experience for your child; they shouldn’t think of it as a command or punishment. It is vital to tune down your anxiety and frustration so that your child is more relaxed and is open to the idea of trying new healthy food.
If your child begins to have an aversion to a food that they used to enjoy, consulting a pediatrician would be your best bet. If you’re looking for one of the best Pediatric Clinic San Antonio, TX, for your little one, look no further than A Thru Z Pediatrics. We offer top-notch, best Pediatrician Stone Oak services for newborn babies and toddlers at our Stone Oak and Medical Center locations.