5 Ways to Engage Your Picky-eater Child

It’s common for parents to worry when their child is a picky eater. Some parents even only feed their children that one single thing they like to eat. These methods don’t fix the picky eating problem. Here are some ideas about how to engage even the pickiest of eaters.

 

  1. Involve your children when planning their meals
    It is a good idea to have your children help plan meals. Listen to their opinion and provide your counter suggestions on what makes a balanced, healthy diet. This will also give them a sense of responsibility and accountability. But all in all, if the meals include what they like, they may be more motivated to finish it.
  2. Actively involve children when shopping for food
    This is a way for your kids to be more involved. You can even teach them how to pay, how to bag groceries, as well as how to count change.
  3. Link good food to good health
    It’s important for your children to have a good relationship with food and never to force them to finish what they don’t want. Expose your children to food of different cultures as this can widen their horizons and excite their senses. It might cause them to develop negative associations with food. Highlight vitamins and minerals found in their favorite foods and why they need them. For example, let them know that lemons are high in Vitamin C for boosting the immune system so they are always healthy to play all they want outside.
  4. Cook and have fun
    Cooking is not only fun but also a good bonding activity as well between a parent and a child. Start off with simple activities such as reading recipes, whisking eggs, stirring sauces, and measuring out ingredients. Delegate more tasks to them as they progress and reward for their progress.

Reference: https://abbottfamily.com.sg/articles/pickyeater/5-ways-to-engage-picky-eaters