- Introduce a food item repeatedly. A child may not like something until they have tried it many times. My daughter’s speech therapist says a child should be introduced to a flavor 23 times before a parent gives up on it.
- Start early with the vegetables and be persistent. Kids who start eating vegetables young are far more likely to continue eating them as they get older.
- Let your child gnaw on a large meat bone to get the flavor of meat. (do not use a chicken or fish bone which may have smaller bones; observe your child closely so they don’t gag themselves on it)
- Go to a buffet and feed your child tiny bits of foods appropriate to their level so they can taste many things.
- In the baby aisle, you can buy a small mesh bag that a child can chew on. Put fruit chunks or soft, cooked vegetables in this and let your child gnaw on it. It is a safe way for them to experiment with textures and taste without the danger of choking.
- Make eating fun. Let them suck pureed vegetables through a straw.
- Whenever you are eating something that is also ability-appropriate for your child, give them a taste. Let them see you enjoying the food item as it may make them more likely to try it.
- Give a child dipping items and dip. This can be a teething biscuit and yogurt so they can suck the flavor off. For older, more advanced children, some options are fries and ketchup, cracker and hummus, vegetables and ranch dressing, small piece of bread and jam, a chicken nugget and honey, fish stick and softened cream cheese, chicken and barbecue sauce – get creative. Try to encourage healthy options.
- To encourage a picky eater, occasionally add treats. Some sweet ideas appropriate for children of almost any ability (as long as the item is age and allergy appropriate) are: chocolate pudding, cheesecake, sweet yogurt, Sherbet, ice cream, chocolate spread such as Nutella, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, maple syrup, nut butters such as peanut butter (do not give a child nuts until they are older than one year), honey (no honey until a child is older than one year).
- Let a child pick three food items they don’t have to eat, and then insist that they must eat anything else put in front of them. Don’t negotiate about it. Write down the foods they can refuse on a piece of paper and put it on the fridge so the items don’t keep changing.
- If a child cannot chew, help them try new foods by letting them suck on them. Hold a food item firmly and let the child suck on a bit of a food item that is flavorful or juicy. Some ideas to try include: watermelon, mango, sliced kiwi, strawberry, orange slice or popsicle.
- Until they are at least age four, do not give your child hot dogs, grapes, carrots, nuts, popcorn, apple slices, marshmallows, gum, hard candy or a thick layer of peanut butter. If your child has trouble chewing or swallowing, wait even longer. These are the most commonly choked on items for children.
- Some kids don’t like fruit and it can be expensive to buy fresh fruit. Frozen fruit is cheaper and can be mixed with yogurt or ice cream or mixed into shakes and is a good alternative way to get kids to eat fruit.
- Unless you live in the tropics, some tropical fruits can be expensive to buy fresh. To save your budget, try bringing home one piece of fresh, exotic fruit each time you grocery shop and make it a fun time to try new thing with your kids. Some fun things to try could include fresh mango, star fruit, papaya, fresh pineapple (not canned), dates, figs, plumicots, pomegranate, avocado, guava, prickly pear fruit, various berries, kiwis, kumquats and other interesting things you see in the produce aisle. Doing this, you’ll figure out some other flavors your kids like and can help encourage them to eat more fruit. It can also turn fruit into a treat for them, instead of a chore if they don’t like fruit.
- It’s not easy to get most kids to eat vegetables. Try potatoes and sweet potatoes. When mashing potatoes, leave the skins as that’s where you’ll find much of the fiber. Kids may be receptive to the sweeter vegetables, such as squash, carrots or pumpkin. Squash or pumpkin can be steamed or baked until soft and served with a touch of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon for a tasty treat. Or serve squash or pumpkin in a crispy phyllo dough cup so it becomes a fun dessert!
- To get kids to eat fiber-rich veggies, steam and puree them, then mix them with flavored yogurt, milk or fruit in a shake. Some vegetables don’t have a very strong flavor and can be easily disguised in a shake. Try using cauliflower, spinach, collards, zucchini, yellow squash, kale, squash, or pumpkin with pureed fruit. Steaming vegetables is the best way to keep the nutrients, but if you boil them, use the water you boiled them in to help soften your puree. Some of the nutrients will be in the water.
- Hide whole grains in their food by buying finely ground grain or run whole grains through the blender. Sprinkle grains such as ground oats, wheat germ, ground flax seed, and alternative whole grain flours like millet and barley, into yogurt, shakes, mashed potatoes, muffin mix, pancake mix, peanut butter, soup – anything your kids will eat.
Please comment below and share your experience with us, or give us a feedback about this article. If you think some tips are not included here, please let us know so that we could share them with the rest.
