Does the child you care for refuse to eat the meals you cook? Is he or she more willing to make food designs than actually eat? If so, you might have a picky eater on your hands. In the final part of our three-part series, we explore two more ways to handle a fussy eater.
1. Be consistent
Once you have a strategy in place to help a child get used to, say, vegetables, don't stray from it. Remember, if he or she doesn't like vegetables one day, the chances of liking them the next day is slim. It may take days, weeks or months to finally warm up to the idea of eating Cobb salad with lemon-dill vinaigrette or a veggie sandwich with cannellini bean hummus.
Slowly work these meals into the daily diet until the child begins to actually look forward to these new menu items.
2. Invite the child grocery shopping
In the first part of our series, we suggested having the child cook with you. This would help him or her see how meals are made, and thus, instill a better appreciation for what's on the plate.
Let's take it one step further. Invite the child to go grocery shopping with you. Let him or her select their favorite fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. If the child wants to pick out the items by shapes and colors, that's great! Having fun is an excellent way to get excited about dinner.
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