Pulled pork fussy eater style!!

I’ve had quite a few requests for meat ideas for fussy eaters.

Meat is often difficult because there is a lot of chewing. If we’re not used to chewing, it’s easy to give up and is why soft ‘prechewed’ meats like nuggets and luncheon are often favourites.

But we can also make other meats easier for a child.

Pulled pork is a good one as after slow cooking the meat is super soft and therefore less work to eat.

However, I recommend ‘pulling’ it as per usual and then chopping the strands into smaller pieces. Stringy bits can be a textural challenge and can also tickle the throat which is not ideal.

I am not going to give you a recipe for regular pulled pork but brainstorm some ideas that would work well for a picky eater!

To cook the pork so it’s soft and, well, pull-apart 😉 you need some liquid.

Many of the sauces recommended could be a little confronting for a fussy eater to start with.

Instead, you could, for example, use stock. This would provide the liquid (and some extra nutrients) but without a full-on flavour. If a child likes tomato-based sauces then that’s another great option. White wine will cook out the alcohol so could be a good addition too.

Although picky eaters often prefer plain foods, they also like good tasting foods so don’t hesitate to season even if it’s just salt and garlic powder (which weirdly gives an almost MSG type taste).

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.
She is also mum to two boys and the author of Creating Confident Eaters and Winner Winner I Eat Dinner. Her dream is that every child is able to approach food from a place of safety and joy, not fear.
Learn more about Judith here: https://theconfidenteater.com/about/