Talking with your kids and teaching them about foods may help them become less picky.
Food sociologist Dina Rose, Ph.D. specializes in helping parents with children who are picky eaters.
She says that the key is to help your kids develop a new mindset about the foods that they’re eating and that it’s not specifically about the food.
For instance…
When your child is trying a new food, if she automatically says that she doesn’t like it, Dr. Rose suggests that maybe your daughter doesn’t know enough about the food yet.
By having your daughter play detective and try to discover things about the new food, like does it look crunchy, smooth, salty, etc. it can help your child feel more comfortable and “in the know.”
Here are some other reasons your kids may not like trying new foods:
- They don’t like new experiences in general.
Dr. Rose suggests taking some of your child’s tried and true favorites and using variety within that area. If your child likes potatoes, try baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, etc. so that your child gets used to a variety of textures and tastes.
- They have immature taste buds.
So your little one will only eat broccoli if it’s covered in cheese sauce? That’s okay! Dr. Rose says that by linking new foods with foods that they’re already familiar with, it helps get their taste buds used to the new food item. Also, I’ll add that teasing them about how they like ketchup on everything or cheese on everything isn’t going to help.
- They’re engaged in a power struggle.
If your child feels overpowered in other areas of his life, he may be trying to assert some control over the foods that he eats. To counteract this, give your child lots of choices where we can assert power. Dr. Rose mentions letting your kids choose where they sit, or what plates they use. That way, the control issues don’t have to come out as much over what foods they actually eat.
- There’s too much pressure on them.
Are you giving your kids too much of the new food to try? Dr. Rose advocates giving your child even one single pea as a taste test for a new food rather than a pile of peas that may look daunting to your child.
More Parenting Advice: How do you handle picky eaters in your household? What’s worked for you?
It’s Gross And You Can’t Make Me Eat It – Overcoming Resistance To New Foods [It's Not About Nutrition]
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