The problem of a child refusing to eat keeps many parents awake at night.
Probably every parent has experienced the child whining over his plate. However, there are ways of such individuals! By punishment, request, or threat – how do their parents urge their children to eat a healthy meal?
Well, many parents will struggle with it, and loose a sleep, thinking that is they are a bad Mom or Dad, since their kid do not want to eat … not the case!
I want to show you some idea for dishes that will convince your child to eat dinner!
14 tips for parents of a fussy eater
Your child is crying at the table, spitting food, eating only yogurt, and taking turns with bread? See what can help.
1. Give your baby a break
- Make sure that the issue of finishing a meal to be the number 1 topic in your home.
- Do not call the little one a fussy eater.
- Spare comments (I am going crazy with him; he has not touched dinner again!) And comparing him with others (Julia ate porridge, and John, as usual, just took everything apart!”).
- Do not complain about him to grandma, friends, etc.
- This is really important, because the pressure that is often exerted by loved ones can take away the appetite for good.
- The fake eater: who is it? – movie
- My child is not eating anything! – such a sentence sounds dramatic, but is it true? Many little eaters like to eat very much, and what is more: they eat quite a lot. But not what you want them to eat.
2. Play with the child
- For a few days, write down everything your baby eats and drinks: every bite of a banana, every sip of carrot juice, every teaspoon of cream cheese. Do not miss any cookie or lollipop.
- It may turn out that your little one is not a fussy eater but eats in portions or not the right thing.
3. Let your baby get hungry
- Do not run after him with your sandwich around the playground, do not stick him in your mouth, and that is an apple and that is a banana. Give him a chance to run out and get wild and build his appetite at the same time.
- Give up sweets and unhealthy snacks.
- Do not feed your baby sweet danish roll, “ just as long as they eat something”. You will have to keep doing it. No little one will give up the sweet taste voluntarily in favor of broccoli!
- Also, be careful with sweet teas and even sweeter juices. They are very filling, so it is no wonder that you do not feel like having dinner after them.
4. Let it be decided
It happens that the child is picky when eating because it is the only occasion when he can decide something. Let him choose what he wants. Give him a limited choice though (Do you want cereal or a honey roll for breakfast?)
5. Ask your child to help you in the kitchen
Everyone, even quite small ones, likes to feel important and needed. Involve your child in food preparation, even if that means buttering the countertop and splashing milk over the tiles. Put the cook on a stool and ask him to put cucumber slices on the sandwich, hold the bowl, serve a spoon, etc. And do not chase him away when he looks into shopping bags. If there is nothing dangerous about them, ask him to unpack them with you. Get your child to feel comfortable around food.
6. Remember that you eat with your eyes …
It is worth making even the simplest meals more attractive. Maybe your little one will eat the vegetables if you cut them into sticks and serve them a dip in a bowl to soak them? You can spread the rarely liked spinach on pancakes and arrange them to look like a cake. Colorful pasta is “tastier” than regular pasta, as are potatoes made with an ice cream scoop.
7. … and ears
For some children, changing the name of a disliked or new dish works great. Broccoli may not awaken admiration, “ little green trees” may have a chance. Instead of chives you can sprinkle scrambled eggs with green “confetti” or the cottage cheese with raisins with a freckled cloud. Involve the little one in coming up with names.
8. Play hide and seek
- Your toddler does not eat meat, but he loves dumplings? Perhaps he will eat dumplings with meat. Vegetables can be smuggled in pancakes, fruit in milkshakes, meat, and yolk in soup.
- However, remember that children have an X-ray in their eyes – they can spot a microscopic piece of the hated parsley, even if you carefully cover it with ham.
9. Serve in small portions
A mountain of potatoes, a pyramid of meatballs and a large piece of meat or fish is definitely too much for a child. The sight of a plate full to the brim can effectively deprive him of his appetite. Baby portions should be small.
10. Sit the little one at the family table
It is more pleasant to eat in company, of course. The atmosphere at the table is nice, and the whole family is sitting together, from the little ones to the grownups.
11. Let your baby eat on its own
True, he will get dirty, smear from hair to slippers, and he will eat very slowly, but he is still learning.
12. Take it easy
Do not yell, do not ruffle (Sit up straight, watch the napkin), and do not rush the fussy eater, but of course do not let him tip over his plate or spit food on others. Although it is sometimes exceedingly difficult, try to keep your nerves in check, even if you dig through the scrambled eggs with a fork and have been unable to deal with a pea for a quarter of an hour.
13. Don’t force
- Even if you achieve the goal (the soup is eaten), you will make the meals associated with torture for the child.
- If he hates something extremely (even adults have a gag reflex when they see certain foods), do not force him to apologize.
- Do not drag your meals out forever. The little boy has been crying over cold soup for an hour. Pour it down the sink. It will not work anyway, but the child will be afraid of the next meal.
14. Accept quirks
- There are children who eat only a few products : yoghurt alternating with ham, or a well-strained broth, or only red fruits or yellow vegetables . Others will not touch anything that is red, has lumps or is on a different plate than usual.
- Worse, the tastes of fussy eaters change: the food your little one has graciously tolerated can become inedible in an instant.
- Although this type of behavior seems irrational, it is worth giving way to a child – within reason, of course. The fact that your favorite dishes are served more often than usual does not of course mean that you should give up trying to diversify your diet.
Some meal ideas , just for an inspiration…. Remember, You can create a magic in the kitchen, that your child will love …
Eggs:
Breakfast:
Pancakes:
Sandwiches:
Rice:
Dinner:
Soups:
Hot dogs:
Fruits:
True are on the plate:
