10 Hacks That'll Change Mealtime For Picky Eaters
No case of picky eating is too tough for us.
When I was growing up, I wouldn’t eat cheese. The elastic consistency scared me to death, and from the age of two I found myself pulling it off of everything that touched my plate. I’d peel it off my pizza, leaving nothing behind but a glutinous mass of soggy dough and sauce. Sandwiches were off the table if they included any form cheese. As I grew older, my palate changed, mostly because my mom stopped cooking a second dinner just for me. Let’s just say: I understand, the struggle is real. From not letting food touch to not eating anything green, trying to feed a picky eater can be incredibly frustrating. These eleven tips will help you feed even the fussiest of tots.
Keep your friends on hand.
When it comes to getting a picky eater on-board for dinner, don’t re-invent the wheel. Keep classics on hand that you know they’ll love, and that you can feel good about feeding them, like these frozen Dino buddies.
Hide the good stuff.
What your kids don’t know won’t hurt them when it comes to fruits and veggies. Try shaving-up some zucchini, stashing some nuts, or slipping some strawberries into their favorite foods. They likely won’t taste the difference, and you’ll rest easier knowing they got their daily intake of nutrition. Try these Burgers with Hidden Veggies from Healthy Little Foodies to start.
Put a face on it.
Healthy eating seems much less painful when there’s humor involved. Make mealtime fun by putting together a plate that looks back at your kids!
Blend it up, baby.
What kid doesn’t love a milkshake or smoothie? Simply sneak some veggies into your blender before hitting pulse and consider yourself the James Bond of healthy eating. Avocado is a perfect addition to a chocolate shake, and a small handful of greens won't change the color of a smoothie too drastically.
Roll the dice.
Your child has been sitting at the table for hours, staring at their peas. Their dinner went cold ages ago, and you’re reaching your wit's end. We’ve all been there. In comes the dice. Turn dinner into a game by letting you kids roll two or three dice to determine how many bites they have to eat. It may not work every night, but it will certainly help for the times when you need to get them into a bath and off to bed before your patience runs out.
Host a spelling bee.
Kill two birds with one stone by turning mealtime into a spelling bee! Make each ingredient into a letter and ask your kids to eat them while they sound out the word on their plate.
Taste the rainbow.
Use the magic of the rainbow to get your children satiated and satisfied. While you don’t want to go crazy with food dye, a few drops into the meals your kids refuse to eat will make their food a bit more exciting. Everything in moderation, right? Check out this recipe for rainbow spaghetti!
Turn dinner into game night.
Who says the games have to wait until after dinner? Get the whole family involved in the fun by turning your meal into a giant tic-tac-toe board. Winners and losers both have to eat their x’s and o’s.
Get the kids involved.
Sometimes kids won’t eat their food simply because it looks strange or scares them. Getting them involved with the cooking process will give them a better understanding of where their food comes from, and it'll make them more inclined to eat it once it’s ready.
Find a bridge.
You did it! You finally found a healthy ingredient your kids love. Pat yourself on the back, but don’t stop there. Find other food that looks similar and explain to them that it tastes the same! Or better yet, cook them together and disguise your greens, oranges and reds into the color co-ord of their foodie dreams.
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