Away with Pickiness!

Eating habits like refusing to eat crusts, wasting food, and general pickiness are habits of an unhappy eater. Children who will not eat their sandwich if it is not cut in a particular way, or who will not eat foods that have different texture, are often the children who do not enjoy their foods. They get in a habit of moaning, and nothing seems to satisfy them. They always want something else because they are allowed to choose.  Children who are made to eat whatever is cooked for the family are a lot happier at the dinner table. They learn to enjoy a wide variety of different foods and textures, and have a broader, healthier palate than children eating packet macaroni and cheese and the like.

Remember, you in control of what your children eat, not your children. You are the one who buys the food and prepares the meals. Do not let that control slip over to them. When I was growing up we were taught to thankfully eat what was put in front of us. Today, overworked mothers are making two or three different meals for different family members.

Another area to work on with our children is self-control regarding food. They can’t have every thing they want, when they want it, or be catered to every whim. This training also helps when you are guests at other people’s meal tables, as the children will be grateful for whatever is served.  

A World of Fun and Flavors

It is never too late to start! Train your children to love fresh produce when they are young. Children are naturally inclined to these foods, if not introduced to junk food. Serve lots of raw fruit. Arrange in funny faces, throw in delicious smoothies, freeze and whip into dessert treats, or eat whole – they are perfect for little hands to grip. 

Give your children lots of raw, colorful fresh veggies such as carrot sticks with a yummy healthy dip. My three-year-old and I love to eat corn, raw and sweet, straight off the cob. Of course theses foods are a little harder for younger toddlers, but creativity can make it work. When I make my 15-month little girl her meals, I try and incorporate raw vegetables as much as possible.  For example, I put a peeled and cored apple in the blender and add a few lettuce leaves. The sweetness of the apple makes a delightful taste and the lettuce is already pre-chewed. I also throw in some sprouts or other super foods in her blended concoctions. The sweet fruit makes almost anything palatable. 

My three-year-old loves salad. I told him that it is cool because it is dinosaur food as the big dinosaurs ate lots of greens. He loves dinosaurs, so he devours it. I cut the yummy dinosaur food finely, add crunchy seeds, nut sprinkles, and homemade zesty dressings that he helps me make in the blender. We add sprouts that he helps grow, and he feels part of the whole process. 

Make it fun! Hand out raw little trees (broccoli) with a fun dip, celery with peanut or almond butters, and raisins (wash them well if they are not organic). Slice fresh yellow squash thinly in rounds for crunchy chips to dip in whatever your imagination can dream up e.g. guacamole, fresh salsa, and cheesy tofu spread (recipe included).