Picky Eaters

Many children go through long phases of picky eating. They refuse to try new things. Add food allergies into the mix, and it can be especially challenging for parents to successfully add variety into their children’s diets. Registered dietitian Jo Arpee tackles this diet dilemma.

Some children are eager to try new foods; others are not. For those who prefer a short list of familiar foods, there are a few things parents can do to help. First, recognize that you cannot make your child eat something, so don’t set yourself up for a power struggle you cannot win.

Second, be patient. What your child rejected at age 3 might become a favorite at age 5. Third, be persistent and positive. The more emotional energy you put into the conflict, the harder it is for your child to back down from his position.

Parents need to do things that encourage children to try new things without coercion. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Let your child get hungry. Even new foods look better when one’s appetite is sharp. Keep snacks spaced about two hours after, and two hours before, meals to help your child experience hunger. Snacks too close to a main meal dilute the pulling force of hunger.

Make food visually attractive and fun. Serving new foods on toothpicks in small morsels can also help to pull a child toward trying something new. Use small cookie cutters to shape protein-rich foods, such as cheese, meats, or tofu, that are within the limits of your child’s allergies. Dips are fun as well.

Involving the picky child in the food preparation process can increase a child’s interest in that food. A child who is proud of his or her creation is more likely to try the new food.

Conversely, monotony can also help. Offer only limited alternatives to what the rest of the family is eating. This might be cold cereal or a simple sandwich of allowed foods. Don’t cater to the picky child; just offer a rather repetitive alternative. Eventually boredom will help pull the child in the direction of something new.

Keep in mind that a child’s palate develops slowly over a period of years. Continue putting new foods on the table, and eventually your child will lengthen his or her short list. It may take years, so you will need to be patient.

Finally, don’t make trying new foods an emotional battle. Many children use the refusal of food as a way to manipulate their parents. Provide your child with a multivitamin and mineral supplement so that you know he or she is getting needed micronutrients.

Allow your child the freedom of not eating certain foods. This freedom is consistent with empowering your child to refuse foods that may not be safe when served away from home.

Adapted from Food Allergy News, Vol. 15, No. 1.

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