I can't get my kid to eat my healthy meals!
Okay, so schools play a huge role in a child’s nutrition,
but so do parents! Do you ever feel that
your kid is a picky eater? Do you slave
over a hot stove to make nutritious and delicious meals only to have your kids
push it away or ask for cereal instead?
Whenever I present for parents on the topic of “Picky Eaters,” I always
quote Registered Dietician, Ellyn Satter.
She says, “The secret to feeding a healthy family is to love good food,
trust yourself, and share that love and trust with your child… When the joy
goes out of eating, nutrition suffers.”
Satter teaches that it is the responsibility of the parent to provide healthy
meals, offer these meals at scheduled times, and create a pleasant eating
environment. The responsibility of the
child, on the other hand, is to simply choose which of the healthy foods they want to
eat and how much. I also reassure parents that it is perfectly normal for kids to reject foods. Research shows that it takes up to 15 tries for a child to like a particular food! Also, food jags are perfectly normal. Don't worry, your kid will not turn into a 30 year old who only eats hot dogs.
Feeling inspired? Here are a couple of great resources from
credible sources for your enjoyment J.
My daughter is going on 12, and is getting pickier all the time. I'm finding that the best way for her to like the herbs and new foods that I'm trying to introduce her to, is to have her help me cook. When I try a new recipe, she helps by cutting veggies, adding herbs to the pot, etc. Sometimes it works, she appreciates more of what went into the dish rather than just turning up her nose because it's different than what she's used to.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dareen for the great posts. I read both the post from this week and last. My daughter eats everything, my son eats nothing. I get so stressed out over his diet and am constantly worried about him. I'm always trying new things to get him to eat. I let him help - which almost makes it worse because he thinks its all gross! Then I let him pick his own dinner (I give him only healthy options) - that works maybe once or twice. I let him have cereal. I let him go without. It never seems to work, whatever I do. I'm sure he'll be just fine, but I can't help but worry. Thanks for all of the great links! I'm the guest speaker next week at our Early Childhood Center - they will be awesome!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad this info can come in handy for you!
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