How to: Overcome Picky Eating
How to: Overcome Picky Eating
1.) Get rid of MSG and refined sugar from your home. They are addictive, detrimental to our health and actually make us want to eat those foods over anything else. If it’s not in your house, its not an option.
2.) Educate your kids on the value of what they’re eating. Teach them about the vitamins in different foods and what superpower it will give their growing body.
3.) Look up a video about how their food is made. YouTube literally has dozens of videos on pretty much each subject your kid could think of. Their little minds are so inquisitive. Light their food fire by helping them understand the process.
4.) Start a garden. No momma, it doesn’t have to be fancy. Yes, I know, I have a “black thumb” too. Of course it doesn’t have to be huge, or grown from seed. Take the kids to your local shop and have them pick a plant or two out. Have them water and feed it, and watch while your kids suddenly love Basil and Parsley and peppers and Kale! Pride does wonders for a picky palette.
5.) Separate their food. I was that kid who ate anything but just couldn’t have it touching each other. I have since overcome that. We have been loving these Lifetime Trays for years now. They are so so strong and durable. Plus our kids love identifying what is in the different rooms of the castle. Olives, carrot sticks, raw cheese, peppers, hard-boiled eggs, roasted beets, nuts. All the colors of the rainbow. Stainless Steel is ALWAYS my answer when people ask what we use for the kiddos. Get yours here, and follow my Instagram (raising.kale) as I am always posting fun snack and food ideas there.
6.) Please do your best to not shame them. I know it’s hard. I’ve so been there. Don’t say things like “if you don’t eat your broccoli you’re going to…” or “you better eat this because you wont be healthy if you don’t.” Kids are capable of some huge emotions and they have incredible memories. So do your best to be encouraging at meal time. Just keep reinforcing the good and DO NOT cave into the bad food! Maybe consider reading at mealtime or taking turns telling stories or singing, to keep the mood light.
7.) Just throw it in a smoothie! Our kids are excellent eaters but each of them have a few texture tantrums every so often. One with avocado, one with oatmeal. So I have found the best way to overcome this is to mix whatever it is in a fruit smoothie. The smoothie sleuth strikes again, and wins!!! We use these (you guessed it) stainless cups for them as its the perfect amount for satisfying their bellies.
8.) Do your research. Look up the ingredients on everything you are feeding your kid. A good rule of thumb… if you wouldn’t blend up what you’re serving them into baby food and feed it to a baby, then you likely shouldn’t give it to them (with some exceptions like honey, animal milk, etc). In other words, remember when they were tiny and you protected them from all the things? Nutrition is like medicine… it is our first line of defense against disease and illness, so please consider what it is you are “prescribing” your kiddo in their lunch.
9.) GRACE. People say, “how to you feed your kids like that?” It takes hard work to be different in this world. I promise it is worth it. When you are avoiding food dyes, birthday parties are tough. Just take the icing off. And it will be ok with your kid bc they know that the dye makes them wig out. That said, let them have the lower part of the cupcake. Aim for 90% healthy food. The other 10% is the random Twistee-Treat drive-thru or spoiling by grandma. The 90% is hard. But you can do it. Together, your family can overcome picky eating and redeem your health.
10.) Last but definitely not least- make them the chef!!! Having young kids in the kitchen can slow you wayyyy down. I get it. Boy do I understand. But imagine the memories you could make by involving them. It is the sweetest thing to hear at dinner “daddy, I made this! I cut up this zucchini and he beat the eggs.” Their proud smiles and eagerness to eat what they participated in making, tell me I did the right thing by enduring the test of patience that is cooking with kids. But think about their future. We wont always be there and they need life skills. We love these knives and the set was perfect for our three- small medium and large.
Weary, busy parents. I am right there with you. I know the stressor and pressure of working, homework/homeschool, activities, home-keeping and trying to have somewhat of a social life. But start today. Im here for you. Please contact me and check back here on this blog for more info. You can so do this. Start with refined sugar or dyes or MSG or corn syrup. One at a time, eliminate it from your sacred home. We are the gatekeepers. We get to choose health or hurt with what we allow our kiddos to eat. Choose nourishment. Poor food choices are typically a reflection of being too busy, too stressed, too tired. And poor food choices reinforce all of these. Start today. One bite at a time. Give yourself a pat on the back, smile at your littles, and work as a team to improve it. They’re not picky, they’re just programmed. YOU. GOT. THIS!!!!