Newsweek recently had an interesting article on helping kids overcome picky eating. It pointed out that humans are biologically programmed to be wary of new foods until we know they are safe to eat. This peaks between the ages of 2 and 5 and though it's frustrating at dinnertime, it can keep your mobile, curious kids from ingesting something that isn't safe. Here are some tips for curbing your kid's picky behaviors:
photo by slopjop
- Keep Trying. You may have to place a new food in front of your child 15 times before s/he will eat it
- Take Kids Tastes into Account. Children have a higher preference for sweet and salty, work with this and add grated cheese to veggies and serve carrots (which have a sweet taste compared to other veggies) as a snack.
- Don't Bribe. Telling your kids that they can have dessert if they eat their veggies may just add to their suspicions that there is something wrong with the veggies.
- Find a Role Model. Does your child have a buddy that loves broccoli? Invite him over for lunch and let your child see him chow down on the green stuff.
- Relax. As long as your kids get some fruit and veggies, they're probably just fine and turning dinner into a power struggle may only make things worse.
You can read the entire article here, it's full of good eating information and some other tips.
When she's not taming her own picky eaters, Alison can also be found blogging at This Wasn't In The Plan
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Good tips! I just finished a 10-part series on the very same thing:
http://stretchmarkmama.blogspot.com/search?q=%22getting+kids+to+eat+veggies%22