Challenge Accepted! How to Cook for Kids Who Are Picky Eaters

If your kids are picky eaters, there are some clever ways to incorporate the foods they need into their diets. Dealing with a picky eater is always challenging, but finding what works for your children can make everyone happy. Here are some of the best ways to cook for kids who are picky eaters.

Don’t Give Into Demands

You may be inclined to give into your children’s food demands just to get them to eat. Doing so, however, can reinforce picky eating habits and negative behaviors in your kids. It’s okay to compromise sometimes, but you should remain firm on your kids’ meal choices.

If your kids refuse to eat the food that’s put in front of them, Mayo Clinic suggests encouraging them to remain at the table throughout the duration of the meal anyway. They may not initially eat but will likely eventually do so when they feel hungry enough.

Add Some Fun to Their Food

There are many ways to make mealtime more fun for your kids. By adding some fun to their food, they may be likelier to eat even if the meal doesn’t suit their tastes.

A great idea for adding some fun to their meals is to serve food that’s cut in the shapes of animals and other kid-friendly objects. You can also try serving food on plates that feature images of favorite cartoon characters. Using sauce or other food dressings to write your children’s names on their food can additionally make mealtime more fun.

Allow them to Help Prepare the Meal

If your children are involved in preparing the meal, they will likely be less picky about eating it. The accomplishment of cooking a meal from scratch can make your kids feel like they’re more mature and could help them adopt better-eating habits.

Mixing food items in the bowels can be done by younger or older kids. Cutting, grating, and frying foods should only be done by older children. If you really want to get fancy with their meals, you can show them how to cook using a Brooklyn copper saucepan and other such cookware.

Sneak in Healthy Foods

Your kids might be picky about eating vegetables and other healthy foods. Fortunately, there are clever ways to sneak some of these nutritious foods into favorite meals.

For example, you can try using vegetables along with certain meats as pizza toppings. Making some sweet potato French toast or zucchini pancakes is another great way to give your kids a healthy serving of veggies. If your children are picky about fruit, adding some blueberries in muffins or apple slices in oatmeal may do the trick.

Finding what works best for your picky eaters can make mealtime more enjoyable for everyone. If you’re willing to think outside the box, you may discover the right methods that will get your little ones to eat right.

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