Picky eating is a common issue. One way to gently guide our picky eaters is by getting kids involved in meal preparation. Experts agree that if your children are involved in measuring and mixing that they will be invested in enjoying the food they’ve helped to make. And best of all, mealtime will be much more enjoyable when kids are part of the cooking process.
It is important for kids to develop a healthy relationship with food at a young age, when this doesn’t happen, [kids] can have weight problems and disordered eating later on in life — pediatrician Tanya Altmann, MD
Altman is a mother to three kids, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and author of ‘What to Feed Your Baby‘.
Parenting Magazine reminds us to keep stress levels low when you find your child being overly fussy at meal time.
Although pickiness is normal and tends to lessen with age, you probably still feel you should do something if your child is living on frozen waffles. Know what you can do? Relax. There are no significant differences in overall nutrient intake between picky eaters and other kids.
When parents demand that their kids eat certain foods, they’re attaching negative connotations to it. Pretty soon, the struggle is worse. — pediatrician Adam Strauss, M.D.
Check out these fun alternatives when your picky youngster wants some fun in their food:
- Make Taco Tuesday the best night of the week, giving a much needed respite to mom while the kids do much of the meal prep. Plus, everyone is able to customize their meal and therefore are guaranteed 100% satisfaction. To make Taco night even more special, we’ve themed a whole Kidstir kit around it : Taco Truck Fun!
- Nothing tastes better than a bowl of homemade soup. Teach your kids some soup-making skills with our tips. What a wonderful way to kick off a whole year of fun food adventures with your kids than with the “souper” fun Soups On Kit!
- Adding games to meal prep can start with letting kids pick their own food at the farmer’s market. How about a little farmer’s market scavenger hunt while they’re looking for good nutrition?
So get kids involved in cooking, encourage them to explore, and sprinkle in some fun to lighten things up for everyone in the family. Family mealtime can be fun and tasty!
