How Do I Get My Picky Child To Eat Healthy Foods?

22 Jun How Do I Get My Picky Child To Eat Healthy Foods?

To help your child grow and develop, you need to make sure their nutrition is in check. While this may seem like an easily controllable task, parents with picky children know how much of a struggle this can be for them. At Pediatric Associates of Plainview, we’re committed to keeping your children healthy. If you need advice on how to get your child to eat more nutritional foods, we have the answers you need.    

Stick To A Routine

In all aspects of life, creating a routine that is simple to stick to makes completing tasks easier. When it comes to your child’s eating habits, make sure you are serving them meals at roughly the same time each day. Also, create designated snack times so they’ll be able to eat if they choose to skip a meal due to them not being hungry.  

Don’t Offer Made To Order Meals

As a parent, you’re responsible for providing healthy meals for your children. If your child is a picky eater, it can be easy to give in to the urge to prepare a new meal if they are not interested in eating the one that was already made. However, doing this will only reinforce their picky eating habits. Showing some tough love can help squash this habit before it snowballs too far and becomes irreversible.

Ask Your Children For Help 

Having your children play an active role in meal creation will encourage them to eat what has been made. When trying to have them play a role in eating healthier, we recommend the following:

• Tell children to pick out their favorite fruits and vegetables at the grocery store.
• Have your children wash or mix the ingredients for the meal being made.
• Ask them to set the table right before mealtime.

Get Creative

Sometimes just telling your children they need to eat healthier can lead to a harder rebellion. To get around this, try and think of creative ways to get more nutritional food in their diet without them knowing. Some great methods for accomplishing this can include the following:

• Adding in more vegetables to sauces.
• Putting fruits in their yogurt or cereal. 
• Making nutritional smoothies for breakfast.

Pediatric Associates of Plainview

Dealing with picky eaters can, at times, be difficult. However, there are ways to overcome this issue. At Pediatric Associates of Plainview, we know how important it is to have your child consume a nutritional diet. If you need assistance to stop pickiness and add variety into their diet, don’t hesitate to contact us for some easy tips!