One of our children is turning into a pretty picky eater. While reading this article I realized that there are a couple of things I can do differently when it comes to feeding our children nutritious meals.

Sending children out of the kitchen
With hot stoves, boiling water and sharp knives at hand, it is understandable that parents don’t want children in the kitchen when they’re making dinner. But studies suggest that involving children in meal preparation is an important first step in getting them to try new foods.

“Kids don’t usually like radishes, but we found that if kids cut up radishes and put them in the salad, they love the radishes.”

Logan and Destiny always sit on the counter when I'm preparing meals. It used to make me nervous because every time I turn away for a second they would touch the food (try it, stir it, mix together, put spices in it etc.) Now we learned to work with each other and I noticed how they always get excited to have a taste of WHATEVER we are making! (...even Logan's least favorite zucchini!)

Pressuring them to take a bite
Demanding that a child eat at least one bite of everything seems reasonable, but it’s likely to backfire. Studies show that children react negatively when parents pressure them to eat foods, even if the pressure offers a reward. (Done that...)

“Parents say things like ‘eat your vegetables and you can watch TV,’ but we know that kind of thing doesn’t work...” The better approach is to put the food on the table and encourage a child to try it. But don’t complain if she refuses, and don’t offer praise if she tastes it. (Oh, I praise them all the time) Just ask her if she wants some more or take seconds yourself, but try to stay neutral.

Keeping ‘good stuff’ out of reach
Parents worry that children will binge on treats, so they often put them out of sight or on a high shelf. But a large body of research shows that if a parent restricts a food, children just want it more. Children whose food is highly restricted at home are far more likely to binge when they have access to forbidden foods.

Forbidden foods are always more desirable!

We usually do keep candy out of reach... we even have special "Mom's treats" that nobody in the house can touch without permission (kind of)... hmmm.....

Dieting in front of your children
Kids are tuned into their parents’ eating preferences and are far more likely to try foods if they see their mother or father eating them.

Ok, here's the story... 11 years ago I stopped drinking tea and coffee and switched to Coca-Cola. I think I might have "overdozed" a little, because after 8 months of having it every day, I got so sick of it that I couldn't drink any carbonated drinks at all.... for YEARS!! (I still don't drink soda... maybe occasionally..) One day Dima and I were talking about his school menu and I found out that he was trying to limit his soda consumption, because it is not healthy and it makes you fat. Haha! Who would have thought my kids are paying attention to what I drink!

Also, Destiny fell in love with shrimp when she was barely 2!...because she saw how much Mike liked it..

Serving boring vegetables
Calorie-counting parents often serve plain steamed vegetables, so it’s no wonder children are reluctant to eat them. Nutritionists say parents shouldn’t be afraid to dress up the vegetables. Adding a little butter, ranch dressing, cheese sauce or brown sugar to a vegetable dish can significantly improve its kid appeal. And adding a little fat to vegetables helps unlock their fat-soluble nutrients.

Giving up too soon

Parents often say, “My kid would never eat that.” While it may be true right now, eating preferences often change. So parents should keep preparing a variety of healthful foods and putting them on the table, even if a child refuses to take a bite. In young children, it may take 10 or more attempts over several months to introduce a food. Sibling dynamics and friendships can also change a child’s eating habits.

Dima and Logan both now eat seafood (even though they originally wouldn't touch it). But seeing Destiny eat it with Dad made them curious and has changed their preference...now they even request it :)

Once a food is accepted, parents should use “food bridges,” finding similarly colored or flavored foods to expand the variety of foods a child will eat. If a child likes pumpkin pie, for instance, try mashed sweet potatoes and then mashed carrots. If a child loves corn, try mixing in a few peas or carrots. Even if a child picks them out, the exposure to the new food is what counts.