Tackling Healthy Eating with a Picky Eater

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Image result for face foodHave a picky eater? Sometimes it might just take changing the way the food is presented to get the child to try it! If the same exact vegetable is given to a child- once as just a plain veggie and once when made into a fun veggie train, which do you think the child might be more willing to try?

Sometimes appearance can mean everything! Displaying a boring piece of broccoli as a tree with a house made of carrot sticks can make the child more interested in eating those veggies. 
Here are a few other ideas to get creative with healthy food!
  • Make animal faces on whole wheat toast with berries and other fruit
  • Create a veggie train with bell peppers as the train cars and fill with cut up veggies
  • Make a caterpillar out of grapes
  • Cut sandwiches into fun shapes
  • Make mini pizzas on English muffins
Sometimes no matter what you try, they won’t budge! No worries. Keep offering and introducing children to new foods and eventually they will try and might even like them! Taste buds constantly change, and it may take several tries, but don’t get discouraged!
Getting young children and teens involved in the cooking can also help increase their chance of eating healthy.  If they take part in choosing, making, and creating the meal, they are more likely to eat it! Help guide small children by letting them pick the veggie for dinner or add ingredients to the bowl. Let older kids help cut up veggies for the salad or help make the pizza with whole wheat pizza dough.
Make sure that food is in the correct small portions for little hands and bellies.  Large portions can make a child overwhelmed with how much they think they need to eat.  Bite sized food make it easier for the child to grab and eat in one bite.
Placing healthy fruits and vegetables out in the open make it more likely for children and teens to grab those items first.  Of course, if they see candy and chips laying out they will want those! Place a fruit bowl on the counter so it’s easy to grab for a snack. Stock up on healthy low-fat cheese, yogurt, cut up veggies, and whole grain crackers so there are plenty of healthy options and a lot of variety to choose from to keep them from getting bored!
Most importantly, modeling healthy eating behaviors makes it more likely for children to follow along and want those healthy foods too! They want to be just like the adults in their life so show them the way! 
NT


Collins, K. (2018). Food styling tips to get kids to eat healthful foods. Retrieved from https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/cooking-tips-and-trends/food-styling-tips-to-get-kids-to-eat-healthful-foods

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