How to Get Your Kids to Eat Anything
As a parent, we want the best for our children and that includes making sure they are eating a well balanced, whole food diet. Our children deserve to be as healthy and nourished as possible (as do we)! But what do you do when your child won’t eat optimally or no longer likes the healthy foods they once enjoyed? Don’t panic! Here are some tips and suggestions to help you on your parenting journey.
First and foremost and I know I say this all the time, but it is so critical for children to see us eating what we want them to eat. If you want your child to eat healthy, more whole foods – not processed or man made – you must be the example and eat it as well. Children will do what you do.
Secondly, give your child a sense of autonomy and allow them to choose between healthy options. This is done with limited choices, however. If you give your child too many options, they will become overwhelmed and not be able to choose at all. It’s best to give max three choices (I personally like to give two). This can be done in the grocery store and/or in the kitchen. Ask your child, “Would you like to enjoy carrots or beans?” Children are just like us in that if they feel like they have a say in their decision, t hey are more likely to follow through.
Thirdly, use food as leverage. This is something I do all the time with my three year old son. If for example, your child likes crackers, serve a few crackers and then before giving more, offer them a vegetable or protein source that optimizes their nutrition and then give them more crackers as soon as they eat say two bites of broccoli.
Fourthly, make it a game. This is critical in getting kids to eat anything. A game I like to play is “What character matches the food.” To play, have your child name their favourite tv character after the food they just made or you just made. For example, you could make a green smoothie and have them call it the ‘Hulk’s drink’ and I’m the hulk (child being hulk)! Or you could say fun things like “Do you think (insert favourite character’s name) eats cauliflower to give him big, big muscles or cool magic powers?” Planting the seeds of health through games is key to success in the kitchen and in life!
Lastly and most importantly, the goal is to create healthy, nourishing habits early so they are instilled at a young age rather than having to do a ton of work later. Your goal is not to be perfect and have a perfect child who eats perfectly; your goal is to be an empowered parent doing the best you can which is what your child will see and ultimately emulate.
We are all doing the best we can with what we know. Parenting, just like life, is a constant evolution and change will happen everyday so even if your child isn’t eating tomatoes right now, that doesn’t mean he or she won’t tomorrow (and if that happens, be prepared for that to change to)!
First Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/8412940480/
Natasha
We used modelling as well as putting small amounts on their plate. If it was not eaten we didn’t make a big deal just tried it again next time.
Modelling is one of the best things we can do to inspire our children.
Thanks for sharing!
Both our kids and myself should all be eating better! 🙁 I am the worst example!! I find it easy to pack a health lunch and send them off but when they are home and say “I don’t like that” I cave in a make a second option which is often not a healthy one 🙁 I just need to stick to my guns and provide no options!!
Thanks for the share, Cheryl.
Good for you for recognizing that you don’t always make the healthiest choices (which by the way no one does all the time – especially as moms).
It is difficult to make meals that our children like all the time. My advice would be to use meal time as a game (have a piece of whatever it is they don’t like and then they can have a piece of what they do like). This is going to vary, however, depending on the age of your children. You wouldn’t do this with youth for example.
Most importantly is to inspire you to want to eat healthier too, so you can model for you children. A simple question to help kickstart that could be “How can I eat healthier so that my children will want to too.” This sounds very simple and it is, yet very powerful.
Keep up the great awareness you have!
Thanks for the share, Cheryl.
Good for you for recognizing that you don’t always make the healthiest choices (which by the way no one does all the time – especially as moms).
It is difficult to make meals that our children like all the time. My advice would be to use meal time as a game (have a piece of whatever it is they don’t like and then they can have a piece of what they do like). This is going to vary, however, depending on the age of your children. You wouldn’t do this with youth for example.
Most importantly is to inspire you to want to eat healthier too, so you can model for you children. A simple question to help kickstart that could be “How can I eat healthier so that my children will want to too.” This sounds very simple and it is, yet very powerful.
Keep up the great awareness you have!
I love giving my granddaughter new foods and healthy ones to eat, she doesn’t get this at home a lot so when she is here she will actually eat the new foods because something new for her and something she will only get at grandmas!!
Yes, Lynda! That is amazing. She is going to thank her Grandma when she gets older!
Great tips! I’m lucky to have kiddos that are not picky, but my godson is entering a picky phase… Hopefully he grows out of it because up until recently he ate everything (or at least tried it before rejecting it).
Hi AD! You are very fortunate to have kids who aren’t picky.
Just as we wax and wane with what we enjoy at any given time, so do our children. If your Godson is given opportunities to enjoy the foods that he once enjoyed done differently that might help. If not, he will usually come back around just as we as adults usually do :)!
Great tips. I was definitely the monkey see, monkey do kind of kid. I always loved healthy food.
Hey Stephanie! That’s so great that you cultivated a love for healthy food from such a young age. I’m sure it is having awesome consequences as well for your little one(s).
Some really good tips here. I must admit I was lucky with my 7 they were all pretty good eaters whether they really liked it or not, they knew there was no other food for them. I never forced them to eat anything but it was that or nothing and I guess that’s why they ate everything.
Hi Elizabeth,
That is amazing and incredible that you were able to nurture within them such an incredible value. And wow seven kids! Amazing work!
We have to make choices all our lives starting young even with healthy food choices gives a child more self confidence and the ability to make bigger choices when they are older
This is always a concern for parents, but we try to eat together and have a wide variety of nutritious food.
You are so right! Variety is the spice of life! The neat thing about variety is that we can make different creations from one food :).
I think the key is also being consistent, them seeing you try things, that has worked for my LO
Absolutely, Cheryl! Consistency is so important.