Los Angeles, Ca, September 25th, 2015 – Are you a parent of a picky eater? Me too! Feeding my child is a daily struggle to make sure he is getting enough of what he needs to grow and be healthy.
Some days are easier than others. I like to think about days as green light days or red light days. When the day is a green light day it means he is open to trying new foods, so I offer things that peek his interest. When I offer them it’s usually on a walk, in the kitchen or in the car. For some reason eating new foods at our table creates anxiety, so when the door is open I like to introduce foods in neutral territory. What does a green light day look like? Lot’s of questions, words like… I am hungry, What’s that and can I help you cook? Plus food stays on the plate and isn’t a struggle.
When days are red light days I know not much will be eaten and I don’t push him. It allows both he and I to not butt heads. What does a red light day look like? Well there are a lot of No’s, the food is usually pushed off his plate and there are usually tears. Sound familiar? A chef is not excused from the food battles of children.
A question I am always asked is; what do you think about sneaking foods into recipes. After years of thought, my answer is simple- do both. Sneaking foods into other foods is completely acceptable and it allows unfamiliar tastes to become familiar. Thus when you go to put whole cooked foods on your child’s plate they might be more interested in eating them because they are familiar.
In the end don’t give up on your child’s eating. It is frustrating, challenging and downright difficult at times, but just keep trying. Children’s taste buds continue to change as they grow and one day out of the blue they might eat something you’ve been serving for years and love it. You just never know.
Do you have a picky eaters? What works for you?
Try some of our kid-friendly recipes- sticky green cookies, baked black olive pasta, and granola.
