While all parents want their children to eat a healthy and varied diet, the truth is that many children have strong tastes in food. They often complain, cry, or refuse to eat when you offer them a dish they don't like. It is important not to accept these behaviors if you want your children to eat a wide variety of foods. This article will show you how to get your kids to eat almost anything - start with Step 1 to find out how.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Developing Good Habits
Step 1. Developing good habits is essential
Children learn early and it is very easy to influence them with routines and good habits. When your kids get in the habit of being adventurous and trying new foods, it will be much easier to broaden their horizons and train their taste buds.
Step 2. Force your children to eat at the table
This is one of the best habits you can teach your children. Don't let them eat in front of the television or in their rooms.
- Tell your child that if he wants to eat, he will have to sit at the table. Tell him he can't go back to watching TV or playing outside until he's finished with all the food in front of him.
- If he refuses to eat, have him sit at the table for a while, then let him go. However, do not offer him a snack and do not prepare more food for him. He must learn that he will be hungry until he eats what you have prepared.
Step 3. Eat without distractions
Meals should be an opportunity for the family to sit together and talk. Avoid leaving the television or radio in the background, and don't let your child play on a cell phone or video game during meals.
- When your child accepts the fact that no distractions are allowed during meals, they will be more willing to sit at the table and quickly finish the food on their plate.
- Avoiding distractions at the table also gives you a chance to talk to your child, ask how he's doing at school, ask questions about friends and life in general.
Step 4. Establish a routine
A clear meal and snack routine is a great idea, as your child will know when to expect food and will be hungry enough to eat on schedule.
- For example, you could offer your child three meals a day and two snacks. Outside of pre-arranged meals, don't allow your child to eat anything else - just water.
- This will ensure that your child is hungry at mealtimes, no matter what food you offer him.
Step 5. Introduce new foods along with her favorites
When introducing a new food to your child's diet, serve it alongside one of their favorites. For example, try serving broccoli with mashed potatoes, or salad with a slice of pizza.
- With this method, your child will accept new foods more willingly and will eat with more enthusiasm.
- For stubborn children, you could create a rule that allows them to eat their favorite food (such as pizza) only when they have finished the new food (such as salad).
Step 6. Reduce your child's number of snacks
If your child doesn't like a lot of foods, try reducing the number of snacks throughout the day. This way you can hopefully give him more appetite and a desire for a more varied diet.
- A child who snacks too many between meals is likely not going to be hungry for dinner and therefore won't want to eat new things.
- Limit snacks to two or three a day, and try to choose healthy foods, such as apple slices, yogurt, or a handful of nuts.
Part 2 of 3: Making Meals Fun
Step 1. Try to make meals fun and interactive
Meals shouldn't be stressful, or always end with your child crying and complaining about something he doesn't want to eat. Eating should be an enjoyable experience for everyone at the table.
- Compare the flavors of different foods, talk about the diversity of colors, or ask your child to guess the taste of foods by smelling them.
- You could also try serving food in an interesting way. For example, you could draw a face on your child's plate, using spaghetti for hair, meatballs for eyes, a carrot for the nose and tomato for the mouth.
Step 2. Prepare the foods together
Include your child in food preparation and explain why you combine certain foods, in terms of complementary flavors and colors. Involving your child in meal preparation will make your child more curious to try the finished product.
- Another great way to get your child interested in food is to allow them to grow or harvest food. For example, you could try growing a tomato plant and give your child the responsibility of watering it every day and checking that the tomatoes are ripe.
- You could also try taking your child to a farm to have him pick apples, berries, etc. This will make him want to eat them.
Step 3. Offer a reward
If your child doesn't want to try a certain food, try offering him a small treat. If he promises to eat everything on his plate, you could reward him with a small dessert after the meal, or take him to the park or to a friend.
Step 4. Pay attention to what you say to your children
A mistake many parents make is telling their children that a certain food will make them grow big, healthy and strong.
- While it can be helpful in getting the baby to eat, it makes the action of eating something they need to do, instead of something fun.
- Instead, try to focus on all the fantastic and varied flavors that food has to offer. Teach your kids to enjoy meals and the chance to try new things. When your child learns to try and eat new things, they will be willing to eat just about anything you offer them!
Part 3 of 3: Enforcing the Meal Rules
Step 1. Establish strict meal rules
These rules will give structure to meals and help you enlarge your child's taste buds. One of the most important rules for example is: everyone must eat what is served, or at least try it. Don't let your child turn down a food they haven't tried yet.
- Make sure your child knows they won't have a replacement meal if they don't eat what you have prepared.
- Giving in to your child's tears and whims will not help you achieve your goal. Be patient and strict about the rules, and eventually the results will come.
Step 2. Set a good example for your child
Children observe their parents for many reasons, including seeing what they eat and how they behave with particular types of food.
- If you don't eat a certain type of food or make faces when you eat something you don't like, how can you expect your child to eat it? Let your child know that the meal rules apply to everyone, not just them.
- Consequently, you should try to lead by example by eating the same foods that you feed your child.
Step 3. Don't pressure your child to eat
During meals, you, as the parent, decide what to serve, when to serve it and where to serve it. It will then be up to your child to decide whether to eat or not.
- If your child chooses not to eat what you have served, don't force them to eat - this will only increase the child's stamina and make you feel more stressed. However, you shouldn't offer to make your child's favorite dish as a substitute, as this will greatly reduce their willingness to try something new.
- Don't allow your child to eat until you serve the next meal. This will teach him to accept more foods - "hunger is the best seasoning".
Step 4. Be patient
Your child will not learn to accept and appreciate new foods in one day. Being adventurous when it comes to food is a habit that must be formed, like any other. Be patient and don't give up.
- Remember to give your child enough time to accept a new food. Don't let him try a food once and then give up if your child says he doesn't like it.
- Serve it as part of a meal at least three times before you give up - in some cases, children need some time to accept a new food and realize they like it.
Step 5. Don't punish your child for refusing to eat
Do not punish your child for refusing to eat a certain food - he will have even less desire to eat it in the future.
- Instead, calmly explain to your child that he will have nothing else to eat until the next meal, and that he will be very hungry if he does not eat now.
- Make it clear that it is your child's decision to go hungry - you are not punishing him. If you persist with this technique, the children will eventually give in and eat what you offer them.
