How to get your kids to eat

Apr 29 2015

FOOD for thought~How to get your kids to eat

How do you eat? How about your little one(s)? If you don’t have a little one yet, what’s your plan?

If you’re not offering yourself stellar food choices, do you intend to make some changes when your little one is ready for the table?

I know I wanted to do better when my kids came along, and they were a great motivation to learn some new skills in the kitchen. It was a daunting task, and I had no idea where to start. I knew I didn’t want “picky” eaters, but how does that happen? Are they born that way? Do they learn it? After spending some time thinking about my own and LOTS of other stories from Mama friends, I have figured out that it is FOR SURE……..both and neither. Helpful, right?

I really believe that some kids are just going to be more sensitive and less adventurous with food. I also believe that we can (very early on) take steps to help mediate the effect that has on their diets. They might not end up being the kid who will scarf down raw kale, sushi, and hot sauce, but they can have a varied diet with lots of healthy and whole foods in their culinary repertoire. We can work on NOT falling into traps that keep our kids from eating what we want them to eat.

I wrote a short (really long) list of tricks for a friend many years ago after she begged to know how I got my daughter to eat well. She insisted that I WRITE IT ALL DOWN. I am now very grateful that she did, because I still have that list. It helped with my second child and may even help you now. Thanks, JAMIE!!!

I’ll share the list in 4 installments…..it’s actually quite long.

How to Get Your Kids to Eat What YOU Want them to Eat PART 1

Every day is different and you should try to treat each day and each food offering as if it’s the first time. It’s completely normal and expected for a kid who eats everything in sight one day to eat NOTHING the next. It’s OK, they all do it. The cycles may last hours, days, or even weeks. Just remember that if you follow a few rules, it will pass. They go through natural cycles of growth with eating, and as long as you don’t set up bad habits during the down swings, they will be up again. Here are a few tricks to help during the down swings. Some of these ideas might not be appropriate for VERY young babies, so make sure the food passes the test for size and texture before trying it.

- DO present a variety of foods. Never assume they won’t like something. Even if they’ve disliked it in the past.
- DO offer the same foods cooked and raw if appropriate. My daughter thoroughly dislikes cooked carrots, but will eat them raw all day.
- DO try it frozen. If teething is a problem, frozen foods (not thawed) might soothe the gums and the tummy. Our favorites were mangos. Those are good even for babies because they get soft quickly and shouldn’t present much of a choking hazard. Also, strawberries, peas, and waffles. Frozen smoothies cut into bite size pieces are a good way to get a little protein if you blend fruit with a high-protein full fat Greek yogurt.
- DO make the meals fun. Try using a funny accent, the airplane game, cute dishes and utensils, cutting food into fun shapes. Offer naturally colorful foods.
- DO eat together as a family as often as possible and get a chair that brings baby to the table. They like to feel like they are part of things.

That’s all for today. Try these out. Some will work, some won’t. And what doesn’t work today might just work tomorrow. Don’t give up. Keep them all in your bag of tricks. As kids grow and change, different things will work. Check out next week’s blog for more tips. Happy eating!!!!