For many toddlers, being a picky eater is almost a common occurrence. This is not entirely a bad thing, but the consequences can include that your child will lose out on some important nutrients they need to grow. On top of that, picky eating means that some moms would have to do extra work and time in the kitchen to cater to specific family members preference. However, there are some ways you could slowly coax your child out of this bad habit.
1. Have meals as a family.
Share a meal with the whole family as much as you can. Having a meal together helps solidify the idea of healthy eating habits into your child. During this time, minimise any kind of distractions while eating like mobile phones or television. On top of that, resist the urge to make another meal if your child refuses what’s served as this encourages picky eating. Try to include at least one food your child likes with each meal instead.
2. Get them involved
A good way to utilise your child’s growing interest in exercising control is by including them in the process of making the food. Let them choose which fruits or vegetables they’d like to have in their meal. Present them a variety of options from time to time so they won’t be stuck into only choose and wanting to eat the same one over and over. Another good tip is to also go through kid-friendly cookbooks and let them choose a recipe to try and make together.
3. Try again!
If your child is not receptive or open to a certain type of food, be patient. Just because they refused it once, doesn’t mean they are forever closed off to it. Keep offering new foods and those your child didn’t like before. Scheduling meals and limiting snacks also help as your child would be hungry when you introduce to them some new foods.
Conclusion
Weaning off your child from certain foods can be tough, but it’s not possible. The most important thing to remember that this behaviour is a part of the child’s development and growth. To learn more about how to handle picky eaters, have a look at this page here https://pediasure.com.my/balancedNutrition/picky-eater
