Over the years I have received many questions about how I get my children to eat healthy food. In the beginning it was a fight for our family. I was looking for a way to create better eating habits and promote family meals.
After examining the attitude of our family again (and with an attempt and error), I found out some “food rules”. This adaptation of how we looked at food and food and my children more involved worked for us well.
If you have to struggle with picky eaters, first look at the attitude of your family to eat. The offering of a variety of food helps to build good eating habits. However, if you have some guidelines for food and meals, you will change your eating behavior. And it will be the time you spend at the table more pleasant!
Why do we have Picky Eater?
The parents often assume that their children do not eat or like certain foods – even if they have not yet complained about a certain meal (or even tried it!). There is perception that “child -friendly” foods such as chicken vending, sandwiches and pre -packed snacks are the only things you want to eat. So we hesitate to introduce different foods because we are afraid that our children will not like them.
If a child’s diet regularly consists of this type of food, you miss important nutrients of a varied, rounded nutrition.
I also noticed that the attitude we teach our children about food is as important as the selection of the food we offer. When I visited other countries, I found a significant difference in the way children ask for food, eat and behave.
I certainly think that the food we market and prepare for our children in the USA to change. But I think it is equally important to change the way our children (and we!) Think about food.
7 tips for overcoming picky food
When I realized that the attitude of our family was necessary to change food, I started to involve ideas from other cultures. I noticed that my mother’s French family had eaten a large selection of food, was not picky and was naturally thin. I started using these ideas with my children, and the difference was amazing.
These are our “food rules”, although the name is somewhat misleading. These are not severe and fast rules that make dinner times more problematic. Instead, these are guidelines about how children should act in situations in connection with food. These “rules” are best taught with a good example and practiced more as a family than with an iron fist (or a wooden spoon).
1. Do not complain about food
In my house, children (and adults) must not complain about food. This does not mean eating at every meal. But it means that negative conversation about food is not allowed.
The number 1 from Food is to nourish us. It’s not for entertainment. This is an important thing to teach children. In addition, it is rude to complain about food that prepares it and also shows a closed attitude. A negative comment on a certain meal can spread quickly and is difficult to undo, especially for several children. So it is better to tear it down completely!
Nobody is ever forced to eat if they are not hungry (see rule 6). But everyone has to sit together and take part in a positive attitude. Those who insist on a negative attitude can prepare for the bed.
2. Eating is not a reward (or punishment)
To create a neutral attitude towards food, I never use it as a reward or punishment. I would like to avoid my children to establish an emotional connection with food. Because remember that Foods number one serves for food and not for entertainment.
Many of us (I myself!) Have emotional connections to a certain meal. Or we have the desire to eat certain things in emotional situations. How often did you use a snack when you are sad, stressed, excited or bored?
This is also known as emotional food. I would like to avoid this with my children, especially with obesity in children who are on the rise. It is therefore important not to create a connection between food (particularly unhealthy) and emotions.
For this purpose, I do not use food as a bribery or reward for good behavior (although I’m not perfect in it!). I also do not emphasize certain foods on birthdays or other special occasions. Instead, I concentrate on experiences. For example, we go to the zoo instead of having a birthday cake and sugar -containing snacks.
In the same way, I do not present food as punishment or associate them with punishment. I would never say: “You have to eat your asparagus or you are in trouble.” Although I do not let my children complain about food (see rule No. 1), the negative attitude is disciplined, not the plot in connection with the food.
3. Eating is a positive family activity
The food of meals as a family at the dining table is less common. But it is so important for everyone in the family! The trend of eating on the way and watching TV contributes to negative attitudes towards food. For this reason, I work hard to eat our meals (especially breakfast and dinner) together as a family if possible.
Everyone comes to the table with a positive setting (see rule No. 1). If you don’t eat, you can stay and enjoy the conversation. This promotes our family time and makes it less about eating and more about binding.
As we eat, I concentrate on calming conversations to reduce stress at the table. We talk about things we are grateful for, things that made us laugh. This creates a room to eat more slowly and more carefully. And it helps to increase your well -being through the food in a less stressful situation.
4. Children involved
This is a big one that helps children are more interested in eating, especially for new foods! Children of all ages can get more involved in the process. And when children are involved, there is a buy-in to try new things. Bonus added: You will learn how to plan and cook meals when you take off alone!
Starting when my children were small, up to 2 years, I would have them helped. You can talk about the various foods on the grocery store or farmers’ market and have new ones selected that you can try out. I always try to explain why certain types of foods are more nutritious and how they benefit the body (see rule no. 7).
Children can also help with the planning of meals, prepare food, put the table and clean. I love this course from my girlfriend Katie Kimball, children cook real food. It offers courses with age-appropriate learning and even has a mini course for small children! It is a great solution to avoid (or heal!).
5. Try it again
In my house the whole family eats the same thing with every meal. Children don’t get any special “child -friendly” food. As soon as you can eat solid foods, you get tiny pieces of what we all eat. This atmosphere encourages you to eat what is served and avoid battles for food. If I serve an unusual or new food, I don’t do a big deal. I simply present it with a positive attitude and assume that you will eat it.
You get a small bite of every meal that is served (a green bean, a bite of sweet potatoes and a piece of chicken). If you end a bite of everyone, you can ask for more.
If you don’t like or no longer like food, I assure you. I explain that it is ok as long as you are ready to try it every time. I explain that one day (if you are growing up), your taste buds and food preferences change and you like the food. They are not forced to eat large amounts of food that they don’t necessarily like. But I serve it repeatedly and put the expectation that you will continue to try.
6. Hunger is fine
In our house we do not see hunger as a negative experience that we constantly correct. I knew people who have lost a natural feeling of hunger due to constant access to food.
It is completely normal (and expected) before eating a meal. Children who are at least slightly hungry are happy and adventurous in meals in the meal. For this reason, I try to limit the snack times and ensure that they happen well before meals. It is not necessary to practice continuous food.
Normal hunger at meal times encourages children to eat what is served. It also helps them want to eat enough so that they avoid being hungry too early. At the same time, a child who complains and apologizes from the dining table to prepare for the bed (see rule 1), quickly a more positive setting. My children never had more than two nights with a total of missing family meals to find an improved view.
7. Concentrate on nutrient -rich foods
I noticed that my mother (and the French in general) eat smaller amounts of food with higher quality. They enjoy it more and have less of them (in general). In order to facilitate all “rules” mentioned above, I focus on cooking nutrient -rich, rich food from scratch. We contain bone broth, raw cheese, homemade sauces (with butter or cream), high-quality meat, eggs and egg-based foods such as Hollandaise sauce every day.
My children are nourished with a balanced meal after eating an omelet with meat and vegetables and crowning with Hollandaise. But they also received a thrust of useful fats (in contrast to a cereal shell).
Although it is time -consuming, I appreciate homemade, nutritious meals. So I cook on most days, but I also cook on weekends. This saves a lot of time and introduces us for the week. And because the children help (see rule 4), it saves me time when they are older.
It was a process to change my family’s attitude to food. But it is one that is worth transforming characters into healthy eaters! At the beginning of this trip, remember that you are the best role model for your children. They watch their relationship to eat and how they react. Celebrity food will soon be a thing of the past!
Is it a fight for your family or are your children adventurous eaters? How do you deal with a keyless eater? Share your tips below!