As a feeding therapist, I work closely with the parents of picky eaters.  Parents are often stressed and have tried everything in their power to get their kids to eat nutritious foods.  When I ask a mom or a dad what they ultimately want out of therapy, they typically respond “I just want to enjoy family dinner.”

Learning to be an adventurous eater takes time.  Here are a six strategies for keeping mealtimes joyful while learning to try new foods:

1. Farmer’s Markets, Gardening & the Produce Isle:  Before new foods ever show up on their plates, create family memories by gardening or shopping together at Farmer’s Markets and the produce isle.  Get the kids involved preparing new veggies in the kitchen by washing each one in a carrot, parsnip and rutabaga car wash under the kitchen faucet.  Older kids can chop, younger kids can count the pieces as they fall into the serving bowl. 
2. Start the Meal with a Song.  Preschools do this all the time when transitioning to a new activity, such a snack or circle time.  Try playing “On Top of Spaghetti” as you sit down at the table for Pasta Night.  Set the tone for the rest of the meal with music.
3. Dish Up Family Style: For most families, family style serving encourages your child to interact with new foods, such a peas, by dishing up his plate.  Better yet, make him in charge of dishing up everyone’s plates.  It’s simple, the more exposure he has to peas, the more he gets used to the presence of peas on his plate.  That’s the first step to eventually tasting peas.
4. Don’t focus on the bite.  All the bribing and pleading just to get kids to take one bite just adds stress to family mealtimes.  If your child continues to have trouble trying new foods, consult a professional feeding therapist, typically a certified speech language pathologist or occupational therapist who has experience with picky eaters.
5. Get Messy.  Kids need to explore foods through all of their senses and our hands have millions of nerve endings that enable even the youngest eaters to learn about all aspects of food before it reaches the mouth.  If you child can’t tolerate the texture of Grandma’s mashed potatoes (as delicious as they may be) then help him create mashed potato pictures, finger paint with colored mashed potatoes and build mashed potato mountains.
6. Keep it joyful!  Family mealtimes are about FAMILY.  Studies from Columbia University found that kids who have regular family meals grow to make better decisions regarding drugs, drinking and peer relationships.  It’s an important time for them and for you.  Focus on the family – and try some of the tips above to eventually celebrate that first bite of broccoli!

Learning to be an adventurous eater is a step by step process…enjoy the journey!

Most parents tell me that their elementary school child has 20 to 25 minutes to enter the school cafeteria,  search for his lunchbox buried in a portable tub, find a place to sit, open all the containers, eat (oh, right, eat), then clean and pack up before the bell rings.  In an effort to ensure that their kids eat anything at all, well-meaning parents pack lunchboxes filled to the brim with a smorgasbord of options. 

Picture this: Your little first grader searches for spot in a sea of tables, newly found lunchbox in hand.  She squeezes in between his best friends, climbing up onto the metal bench, feet dangling, with her  little elbows resting on the much too high table top, just below her chin.  Most school cafeterias provide the same size seating for the entire school, whether the kids are 3 feet tall or towering 5^th graders, about to move on to middle school.  Ever try to eat a meal on a narrow bench, your feet dangling and no back-rest?  It’s not easy.  By the time your child gets  the plastic bags opened, the juice box straw unwrapped and poked hard enough into the box that it squirts her in the face, all while holding up her other hand  to signal the teacher “Can you please open this lid?” well, another 5 minutes have passed by.  Meanwhile,  she’s excited to get out to recess, now just 15 minutes away.

As a feeding therapist, I visit lots of school cafeterias and have learned that parents and teachers have one priority: Getting kids to eat a nutritious lunch.  In contrast, kids have this priority: Talking to their friends.  How then, does a parent pack a lunch, especially for a picky eater, that allows their child some much needed “down time” to chat with friends yet fill their bellies quickly and nutritiously?

Here are 3 strategies to do just that:

1. Send one easy open container plus a drink.  I recommend EasyLunchboxes® BPA-free system, because the lid is easy for little fingers to pop off and instantly reveal 3 to 4 yummy choices.  It’s quick and not as overwhelming as a lunchbox filled to the brim with individual containers, especially with 6 to 8 choices, which is what I often observe.
2. Pack “GRAB and GAB” food.  Cut fresh fruit, veggies, sandwiches, cheese, etc. into small enough pieces that kids can grab a piece without gazing down and continue to gab with their friend across the table.  My favorite speedy gadget is FunBites® which instantly creates grab and gab bites, yet has no sharp edges.  It’s a fun way to get  kids in the kitchen making their own lunch – once again, get them involved and they are more likely to eat it later.  (For 25% off your entire order, use the code MyMunchBug at checkout.)
3. Pack a power packed drink.  Include a frozen smoothie that you made the night before.  Freeze it directly in the cup (with a lid, of course) and be sure to include a wide straw.  By the time your child opens her lunch, the smoothie will be the perfect consistency, plus it helped to keep the lunch cold.

One elementary school that I visited was graciously flexible to help one little girl eat better.  They provided a smaller table that fit her so that her feet could be on the floor (or try a box underneath little feet to as a footrest). The table should be at sternum-height so your child can see her food and rest her arms for stability.  Smaller tables also reduce cafeteria noise and foster social skills thanks to smaller groups of kids sitting together.

Here’s a picture of that sweet little girl.  Note the easy “grab and gab” food in one (and only one) container.  See the rest of the food on the table?  That belongs to the two other kids seated across from her.

Tell me about your kids’ cafeterias – the good, the bad and the delicious!  What can we do to help kids in school get more time and more options for a healthy lunch?

Tomorrow’s post: Tips on enjoying family dinners, even with a hesitant eater.

The following is #3 in a 5 part series on helping children become more adventurous eaters.

Parents tell me that lunch is typically the best meal of the day for picky eaters – meaning they’ll eat “something”. Often that’s because 1) They skipped breakfast and are starving; 2) They get the same foods every day for lunch and/or 3) They eat best when in front of the TV or in the car between activities.

“But, at least they’re eating,” parents tell me. I understand, I do! However, if the goal is to help a child become a more adventurous eater, then the tactics above will backfire. Over time, try the following 3 strategies instead:

1. Create a Hunger Schedule, not a Hunger Strike. We talked about the importance of hunger in yesterday’s post. It’s worth repeating because it’s crucial to success. This does not mean that if you let a kid get hungry, he’ll eat anything. But, if a child is not hungry, he is very unlikely to try a new food. Too hungry and kids gobble up just their favorite comfort foods, because they are too cranky to consider any other options. Starving is a bad time to try anything new.
2. Present one New Food on His Plate (with the familiar favorites). If he fusses about it, be calm and concise and say very matter-of-factly: “Yep, we’ve all got carrots on our plates today.” Then, move on to a new topic. Say it once and don’t revisit it, no matter how much he tries to protest. Just learning to accept the presence of the food is the first step for many kids. If the topic turns to learning about carrots and he informs you, “Hey, these are what Bugs Bunny eats!” then join in and come up with every fun fact you can think of:
   • Did you know that the greens on carrot tops were once used to decorate the hats of royalty?
   • Spiderman eats carrots so he can see better in the dark. He told me so.
   • I can crunch this carrot louder than your father – listen…CRUNCH!!!
3. Sit with Your Child, facing him, whenever possible. Eating in front of the TV or staring out a car window with food from the drive-thru is at times, just a part of our lives. But, the goal is to learn about new foods, rather than be distracted from what we are eating. Ever been to a movie theater, huge tub of popcorn in your lap, and then been astonished that you ate it all? I doubt that if you had that tub in front of you while sitting at the table that you would have eaten the whole thing. Yes, a child will eat more volume when distracted, but there is no learning taking place for the long term goal: creating an adventurous palate and a child who loves to try new foods.

How do you feel if your child eats the same food for most lunches? Would you like to expand to other options, or are the same few choices okay for you and your family? I would love to know your thoughts – it helps me to hear from parents, thank you!

Tomorrow’s post: Do you open your child’s lunchbox after school, only to find he barely ate anything?  Visit tomorrow to learn strategies for filling your kids belly FAST before the recess bell rings.

The following is #2 in a 5 part series on helping children become more adventurous eaters.

Ah, breakfast! The most important meal of the day, right?

If you are parenting a picky eater, it can also be the most stressful way to start the day.

Here are 5 strategies to begin the journey to trying new foods, even at breakfast:

1. Limit Milk and Juice in the Morning. Juice provides a swift rise in blood sugar, thus decreasing hunger for the morning meal and resulting in a cranky kid mid-morning when sugar levels crash.  Milk, though nutritious,  is very filling and satiates little tummies quickly, leaving little room for anything else.

 

2. Make it a Smoothie. If your child insists on something to drink, a smoothie, frozen or simply chilled, can be a power-packed, easy solution.  While it might contain milk or juice, adding boosters such as chia seeds,  plain Greek yogurt or a seed/nut butter will start their day right even if they forgo traditional breakfast.  Or, try a Smoothie Ice Pop in the morning, made with your kiddo the night before.  My favorite is from The Hopefull Company’s Bellyfull Kit, which includes pop molds that are PVC, BPA and Phthalate free.  The kit comes with  20 “wipe-able” recipe cards perfect for little hands and bundled on a ring, each with a fun picture to encourage healthy eating plus the kit includes compost-able and biodegradable pop “handles” in case you need to take breakfast with you.

 

3. Make Breakfast with Your Child the Night Before. It can be as simple as setting the table together with cereal boxes, an empty bowl for fruit from the refrigerator and a small pitcher to pour from in the morning.  This changes your little one’s mindset so that they begin to understand that in the mornings, we all need something nourishing and substantial to get our bodies ready for the day.

 

4. Eat Breakfast with Your Kids. Model the importance of fueling up for the day ahead.  Studies show that kids have better concentration and energy after eating breakfast –  something every parent needs too!

What strategies have you used to help your children enjoy a healthy breakfast?  Do you worry about it, or not? Let us know, it’s helpful to hear your ideas!

Tomorrow’s post: Chicken nuggets again?  I’ll offer strategies for kids who eat the same thing for lunch, day after day. 

“Ugh! I never thought I would have a picky eater. Day after day, meal after meal, so many opportunities to totally FAIL as a parent!” Parenting a picky eater can be frustrating and stressful, causing any parent to succumb to the chicken nugget and french fry rut with these words: “At least I know he’ll eat it and there’s some comfort in that.” But once a family has fallen into that rut, that hole, that cavern…that deep, dark pit…well, you get the idea. It’s hard to climb out.

This week’s blog series focuses on the topic of picky eating in children. I will share strategies to help your kids become more adventurous eaters at breakfast, lunch, dinner and even in the school cafeteria. Whether you just want to know how to keep your little gourmet on the right path to adventurous, healthy eating or you are trying to find your way back to eating a veggie or two, this week’s ideas are for you.

Let’s start with 2 strategies you can begin using right away:

1. Nix the Label: Picky Eater. Although my career is focused on solving picky eating, I want you to know I never use that term in front of a child. Kids will always live up to the labels we assign to them, so best not to give them the picky eater brand. Instead, find what your child CAN do. If the best he can do is carefully spoon a Brussel sprout and put it on his plate, then declare him “The best Brussel sprout balancer in the west!” Start there. Learning to be an adventurous eater is a step by step process. The first step to learning any new skill is celebrating the smallest accomplishment and then, build from that. Tasting a Brussel sprout may still be weeks away, but today, he’s feeling darn good about his interaction with that veggie.

 

2. Sit! The first thing I do when I visit a home is make sure your child is positioned correctly in their high chair, booster or appropriate seating at the table. Nine times out of ten, kids are positioned incorrectly. One mother told me just last week: “I had no idea what a difference buying the correct booster seat would make for my daughter”. Once a child can sit up on their own, make sure their hips are at a 90 degree angle and they have a foot rest for stability. Toddlers and younger kids need additional stability around their hips to keep their trunk still while they practice learning to eat finger foods, use utensils and even learn to chew more advance foods. A rolled up towel behind their back to provide lumbar support and stabilize the sides of the pelvis is an easy solution.

Do you have a picky eater? How much stress does it create for you? A little? A lot? Tell us about it – we appreciate your input!

Tomorrow’s post: Strategies for kids who don’t like to eat breakfast. The stress of having a picky eater begins early for many families. As one father told me, “Every morning I wake and mutter to myself, ‘Let the Hunger Games begin.’”