Aliz Sass Do you know any families who have had no issues at all with their children’s eating habit or pickiness? Maybe your baby was eating really well when you started solids, then maybe around age 2 or 4 they became so picky and no matter what you put on the table they just didn’t want it? It becomes a battle and it doesn’t look like it will change any time soon. At the end you just want to give them WHATEVER THEY WANT! Uggggh so frustrating.
Introducing solids to my first born was a battle. I wanted soooo badly for him to start finger foods. But, he was choking on everything! (Even on a quarter of a blueberry!) After a few times, I just decided to puree everything but at age 1-1.5 he was still more interested in breastmilk than any other food. Then, a doctor recommended to limit breastmilk, so he would be hungrier and more curious to try food.
I started to read more about how to get kids to like to eat food and that is the same time I learned about Montessori as well. Here are a few tips that I truly believe helped to make my kids good eaters.
- Involve them in the grocery shopping.
Especially when you are at the produce section! Ask them what fruits and veggies you should buy. Don’t make a big deal about it if they want apples and nobody really likes them, just buy one. It will help your child feel they are a big part of the decision and it is true (but the leader is still you.) Interact with them, like “What do you think, is pear a fruit or a veggie? What is your favorite green? Let’s count the tomatoes! Can you think of purple veggies and fruits, which is your favorite?” When they are a little older you can practice spelling and counting while you are shopping. (Personally, this is the only way I survived grocery shopping with both of my boys!)
- Let them help you in the kitchen.
I didn’t really think this would be a great idea until I started doing it. All I thought was about the mess and the danger. Then, I thought maybe it is better to deal with the mess than a cranky and hungry kid. So I tried it, and let me tell you, if you’re worried about your child eating an acai bowl while standing by a kitchen counter or eating lettuce, don’t do it. (Ha!) But seriously, this activity will give you a lot of benefits. Namely, bonding between you and your child, as you encourage them to touch and feel the food and to talk about it, name it and TASTE it. (Just please don’t involve them the first time you make brownies:):):)
- Read books with them or even show them your recipe books (please tell me you still have some), that have pictures until they can read (later they can help you to read the ingredients). Honestly I am not a kitchen angel. I always go for easy and quick recipes and I always need a recipe. I subscribed to www.eatingwell.com because I am old fashion and need to see things on paper. And my kids like to turn the pages and my 2 year old is so happy when he knows and can tell what he sees. Check out also their Healthy Back to School Guide for more Healthy Kids Recipes.
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Talk, talk, talk. Kids are so eager to learn about everything. It helps if they don’t think about every meal as a fight but more as a learning experience and a fun thing to do. We tried a couple of games as well that were fun, like smell hidden food, touch a mystery food or describe like a chef.
- Grow your own herbs, veggies and/or fruits. Even keep some chickens if you feel up to it and can do so where you live 🙂 There are so many ways to have your own little garden. Even if you live in an apartment with a balcony. I honestly haven’t tried any of the tower gardens but I know the Juice Plus vertical garden has an indoor and outdoor version as well. To find out more visit https://anita10.towergarden.com. In our backyard we have basil and mint and my kids grew aloe Vera in their school (isn’t that amazing?) Passion fruit, jackfruit and avocados are in process…(no sight of them yet but we got the plants (shhhh…).
- Offer different foods on their plate.
I don’t mean to give them something they like if they didn’t eat their dinner. But, seeing different options and colors on the plate will help. When I started to use divided plain plates instead of a full plate of colors, everything changed. Unbelievable, but I realized my son can’t even see the food but the colorful figures… This is something that worked very well for us for two reasons. For example, let’s say dinner is rice with chicken, offer some avocados and carrots. If they had a good breakfast and lunch they may just eat one or the other. If they eat it all, even better. I don’t make pasta just because I know they would eat that any time. - Include disliked food in smoothies or desserts. Mix disliked food with the ones they like in smoothies, pouches or even dessert. Don’t lie about what the ingredients are. Make it together, let them taste and realize it is yummy. One of our favorites is banana, apple, pineapple, spinach, celery and a little ginger. (Tip: Using reusable pouches can save you a lot of money.)
- Pack healthy snacks for school and for playground.
I always bring a veggie, a fruit, a salty snack and a treat with us. The boys know without eating the veggies and fruits first there is no salty or sweet snack. Of course, the best would be only veggies and fruits as a snack but that’s not the case for us.
After all kids are kids, and as they grow they will always keep changing. I wish my boys didn’t like sweets as much as I do, but we try to make our own deserts and make sure main dishes and healthy snacks are first. I think the most important is to involve them. We make all decisions for them. What to eat, when to eat, how much they can have or they shouldn’t have. If they feel they are part of the meal preparation processes they will enjoy the food and will learn about it. Taking them once a week to have a burger or some pizza won’t teach them bad habits, but we are responsible for teaching them how amazing healthy foods are and that we are what we eat.
Do you have picky eaters at home? Do you have any tips or tricks for helping kids learn to like eating healthy foods? Share with us below!
