If you had a chance to try any of the tips from the last post, I hope they worked. If not, please try some more.
I will briefly use this week’s blog for some breastfeeding encouragement. If you are still breastfeeding, know that the longer you breastfeed your baby, the longer you can avoid worrying about what they eat! It’s a true benefit (among many others of course) and you should use it to your advantage. Once your baby is older, and you have both gotten the hang of it, breastfeeding is easy. It’s not messy, there are no dishes or bottles to wash, it’s free, it’s readily available, and it provides perfect nutrition. While breastmilk or formula are still in the mix, you can relax a little about their daily intake of food. It gives them, and you, some time to get the hang of cooking and feeding.
Also, I do not believe in the old wisdom that says that kids who don’t start exploring foods early will automatically be picky eaters. I didn’t do any spoon feeding after the first few annoying attempts. It was too messy and frustrating for me. I waited until they could eat solid foods with their fingers. When they have the manual dexterity to pick up bits of food, they are usually curious enough to put it (and everything else) into their mouths. It’s a very logical next step. So don’t worry if you don’t feel like entering the world of pureed baby food. OK, enough about that. Now imagine that you are NOT breastfeeding at all anymore or only very minimally. Your child is ready to venture into the world of REAL food. Now how do you get your kids to eat what they NEED to eat?
How to Get Your Kids to Eat What YOU Want them to Eat PART 2
- DO offer whole foods. Highly processed foods out of a package just won’t be as healthy. As much as possible, feed your kids from the produce aisle, the meat counter, the dairy cases, and the bulk section.
- DO let the food look like itself! Hiding vegetables is not my thing. I love to show my kids how colorful and naturally beautiful their fruits and vegetables are. They learn the names and how to identify them. Let’s keep the healthy foods proud and in the open!
- DON’T blend foods. Casseroles, sandwiches, tacos, soups, or any kinds of food blends might be intimidating and overwhelming to really little ones. If you’re having bean and avocado tacos, separate the ingredients for baby or toddler. Give them a small bit of beans, then some avocado, a little cheese, and a tortilla cut into fun triangles. It can take some kids a long time to want to eat food that is all mixed up. It can be hard for them to bite into and chew those kinds of foods until they have plenty of teeth. And if they have to use a utensil to eat it, they might not be as excited.
- DO let them be messy! I know this can be a really hard one for some. Set up a permanent situation in your kitchen where you’ll be relatively comfortable with a mess and let them feed themselves. Give them cups or jars or bowls to put food into and dump out of. Maybe even let them pour water. Messy is fun (for kids) and fun sets up positive feelings and associations. They might not get a lot into their mouths at first, but those positive associations with food will go a long way to reducing their intimidation and reluctance to try new things. They’ll get neater eventually.
- DO offer the same food at subsequent meals or snack times that were refused earlier. For example, oatmeal refused at breakfast can be tried again as a cold snack or for lunch. This worked really well for me. It’s amazing how often they would eat it the second time around. A favorite snack at my house is STILL cold oatmeal. They would rarely eat much warm oatmeal at breakfast, but they loved the cold oatmeal’s gelatinous and moldable texture so much that they started asking for it cold all the time. It is also great for babies who still need to use their hands to eat.
- DO try bargaining. For example, “Take one more bite and then it’s time to get up.” Often, this would lead my kids to keep eating even after one bite because they realized they were still hungry. Sometimes distractions away from the table make them forget they are hungry, and they need a little reminder.
- DO encourage and applaud. Sometimes this is all they need to get going or keep going.
- DO ignore them. On the other hand, too much encouragement can also be a distraction. If nothing is working, try talking to your spouse, giving him/her your undivided attention, or get up and start cleaning up the kitchen. You might peek over to see your baby chowing down.
That’s it for this week! Have fun feeding those children. It can be frustrating, but it can also be a fun challenge. Remember that they are constantly changing. What works today, might not work tomorrow, but keep up the skills and you will see results. The sooner you start setting up good habits, the easier it will all be in the long run. But don’t despair if you already have a “picky eater”. It may take a little more work to undo bad habits, but they can develop into adventurous eaters too.
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