Tips to tame a picky eater

We've all been there before. You've had a long day at work, the kids have had a long day at school. You've just finished making a delicious healthy dinner. Everyone sits down at the table for a nice dinner, when it happens.

"I don't like that"

"This is gross"

"NOOOOOOOOOO"

You're nice family dinner is now a screaming match and fight with your kids to eat their dinner. Below are some tips and tricks to help tame your picky eater.

Get the kids involved: There are so many ways to get your kids involved in the dinner making process. From helping with meal planning, to lending a hand in the cooking process, being hands on and having a bit of ownership over what they are eating every night can really make a world of difference.

One bite rule: As adults we have spent a lifetime developing our palates. Eating different foods and learning what we like and don't like. Encouraging your children to try just one bite of everything you are serving encourages them to expand their palates and try new things. If you don't try something how do you know if you like it or not? Remember just because you serve broccoli today and your child doesn't like it today, doesn't mean that continued exposure won't lead to a love of it later in life.

Set a good example: How can we expect our children to eat and enjoy things that we turn our noses to? That doesn't mean that you need to start making a bunch of vegetables that you don't like, but if you are expecting your children to try new things, it wouldn't hurt to apply the one bite rule to the adults at the table too.

Start a garden: Get your hands dirty and grow some of your own food! Whether you have room for a huge garden or just a few small pots outside your door, encouraging your children to be a part of their food from the ground up can help them to have a better appreciation for their food.

Get Creative: Take dinner from the table to a picnic on the living room floor. Instead of having steamed carrots for dinner, maybe you have Bugs Bunny's carrot coins. Cut things in funny shapes, use foods like beets to dye other foods colors they wouldn't normally be. I'm thinking purple mashed cauliflower sounds amazing!

Don't force it: Dinner should be enjoyable. The last thing you want to do is allow your child to associate eating a healthy dinner with getting yelled at.

We hope that these tips will help encourage your picky eater to be a bit more adventerous in their eating habits.

Leave a comment below and tell what tips you use to encourage healthy eating habits in your kids?

#healthyeating #pickyeater