Get Your Kids To Eat Whatever You Cook!

The Picky Eater.. or how to Get Your Kids To Eat Whatever You Cook!how to Get Your Kids To Eat Whatever You Cook

My son used to eat everything I would give him until he was 22 months old. He had an extremely healthy diet and I made sure, up to that point, to offer him only the best. At that point, there was a drastic change. He would eat only a few things. Even his most beloved foods became items of disgust. His limited food repertoire consisted of cereal, rice, pasta, peas, carrots, green beans, bananas, apple sauce, yogurt, cheese and milk. Now I know that some people who have picky eater children think that my son was not a picky eater. In my opinion he was because he was not getting all the nutrients he needed on a daily basis. We lived with this for about a year. I was getting very frustrated with the fact that I always had to prepare something “special” for my son because he would not eat the family’s meal. At that point, I was ready to try whatever it took to change my son’s eating habits. He was getting close to his third birthday; and I certainly did not want him to follow this poor eating habit all his life. I tried few things and, guess what, they worked. I would like to share them with you because they might work with your child. I know we don’t lose anything by trying. So here is what I have done:

I used some of his favorite food as a reward if he would try something new. This approach worked out beautifully. As long as one of his favorite food was present, he would try whatever I would ask him to try. However, there is a trick: I did not give him his favorite food right away because if I did, then he would only eat that and did not touch the rest. We started with the item he did not necessarily love. If he ate it, he got a reward by the form of his favorite food. I have to tell you that he now eats all kinds of things such as avocado, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, fish, poultry and meat…
I sometimes let him prepare the food with me. I noticed that when he is involved in the food making, he is more keen and enthusiastic to try that food later on.
Another strategy that worked for us is telling my son that he could play with his favorite toy and watch his favorite video after the meal and only if he agrees to eat what is on the plate.
Using the Toddler’s Daily Sleeping & Feeding Diary helped me tremendeously in keeping track of his food intake.
Make sure you speak with your child’s pediatrician about any feeding issues and concerns.

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