Do you have a picky eater and spend hours looking for special recipes for your child? If so, you are not alone. There are millions of sites advertising food for picky eaters, and recipes that all fussy children will love. But is this true?
For me, it’s usually not about the food at all. The world’s best recipe doesn’t sway a child that refuses anything new out of habit and to protect themselves. If food is difficult, why not say no? If you have a list of favourites that you know you like, why not say no?
If food for picky eaters is not the answer, what is?
Step 1
The first step, is to change the approach:
- Change the way we are offering food
- Change the feeding environment
- Change our expectations
- Support our child to be more accepting of the possibility of a new food
- Reduce the anxiety our child may feel around food
- Take pressure off the table
- Give our child the confidence they can tackle something new
Step 2
The second step is to find foods or recipes that fit within our child’s comfort zone.
Step 3
Step 3 is to support our child to learn how to try and accept new foods.
Strategies for helping picky eaters
Rather than look for recipes I have some strategies that may work better:
- Change the way we serve foods. Children are drawn to things that are unusual so why not capitalise on that. For example, putting snacks into a muffin tray. Pieces of cheese, grapes, crackers, a mini muffin, your child’s “go-to”. Include something new and see what happens!
- Appeal to the visual. Children are drawn to bright colours, patterns and pretty so let’s create some of that on the plate. Use fruit to make a special pattern or if you’re feeling arty build a face or other picture. Be sure to include a new fruit or other food.
- Move the meal. Have a picnic outside or on a blanket in the lounge room. Turn it into a special event with options spread out (including that new food) to try.
- Choose something special at the bakery or in the supermarket. Set some parameters and then let your child decide what to bring home to share (please don’t pressure them to eat just because they have chosen it, make it optional).
- Pick a recipe and create it together. Again, eating is always a choice not something we push them to do. Cooking for fun, not specifically for adding foods builds a gradual acceptance and even love of food for our child.
Things to remember:
- There are no magical fixes to picky eating and no “one size fits all” food for picky eaters.
- The first time we offer our child a new food it’s unlikely they will eat it. Understand this and adjust expectations accordingly. They may, but they probably will not and that’s OK.
- None of the strategies above are going to bring about a miracle. They are ways to gently introduce new foods and in conjunction with a change in approach can be super effective.
- Our attitude is everything. Serving a picnic and deciding up front it’s a hassle and a waste of time will be communicated. If we’re really excited about something and talk about it enthusiastically and get involved, they are likely to feed off that.
I have seen all these suggestions work really well for even the most selective of eaters when the approach has been carefully thought through and we’re looking at the whole picture rather than searching for that one magical food for picky eaters.
Judith is an AOTA accredited picky eating advisor and internationally certified nutritional therapist. She works with 100+ families every year resolving fussy eating and returning pleasure and joy to the meal table.