How to Prevent and Manage Picky Eating: Effective Strategies for Raising Healthy Eaters
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Around age 4, I didn’t like pizza sauce on pizza or pasta sauce on spaghetti. I also avoided mushrooms, onions, peas, and pickles. As I grew older, my taste buds changed, and now I enjoy all those foods (except mushrooms—I still don’t like them).
It’s normal for children to be selective about food. The key is to introduce them to a variety of wholesome, nutritious foods to support their growth and develop a positive relationship with eating.
Understanding Hidden Hunger in Kids
"Hidden hunger" refers to a form of malnutrition where children consume enough calories but lack essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. This hidden condition can lead to developmental issues, weakened immunity, and increased disease susceptibility.
Common causes include poor diet quality, reliance on calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foods, and limited access to diverse nutritious options. Addressing hidden hunger involves improving dietary diversity, fortifying foods, and providing supplements as needed.
Introducing Solids: Tips for Healthy Eating Habits
When introducing your baby to solid foods, it's a great opportunity to establish healthy eating habits. Don’t be discouraged if they initially reject a food. The rule of thumb is to offer a new food (like broccoli) up to 15 times before deciding they don’t like it. We’ve been lucky with our babies, who liked most foods we introduced, although there was some initial resistance. Every child is different, and of course they may not like every single option you give them. The goal is to give them plenty of options to choose healthy food, and to stay away from ultra-processed foods as much as possible.
Making Healthier Food Choices
Over the years, our nutrition choices haven’t always been perfect, but becoming parents has given us a fresh start. We aim to teach our kids to enjoy healthy, nutritious, and delicious foods. While occasional indulgent desserts or sweet treats are fine, the challenge is preventing these from becoming daily habits. Moderation is key.
Healthy Foods We Introduced to Our Twins
Here’s a list of nutritious foods we started giving our twins from around 6 months old:
Fruits: dragonfruit, blueberries, açaí, strawberries, blackberries, avocado (yes, it's a fruit!), bananas, plantain, apples, pears, peaches, pineapple, plum, kiwi, dates, runes, mango.
Vegetables: carrots, sweet potato, spaghetti squash, pumpkin, butternut squash, spinach, bell peppers, corn, cucumber, olives, tomatoes (a fruit often considered a vegetable), soybeans, green beans, peas, broccoli, potatoes, onions, hummus.
Grains: organic oatmeal, quinoa, couscous, homemade sourdough bread.
Protein: eggs, chicken, ground beef, turkey.
Dairy: cheese and ultra-pasteurized yogurt.
Nuts: almond milk, organic peanut butter.
Seasonings/Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, onion powder.
Foods We Avoided for Our Twins
To ensure a healthy diet, we intentionally avoided:
- Goldfish
- Puffs
- Store-bought baby food
- Lil' crunchies
- Cheerios (mainly due to crumbs)
- Teethers
- Yogurt melts
- Fast food
- Ultra-processed foods
- Candy
What If My Child Is Already a Picky Eater?
If your child has been eating less nutritious foods, don’t worry—change is possible! Humans adapt well, and improving eating habits is achievable. The palate can reset in about 10 days, so with consistent effort, you can make the transition easier.
Practical Strategies for Encouraging Healthy Eating
1. Start Gradually
Reduce pre-packaged ultra-processed foods over time. Once snacks like Oreos or Fruit Loops are finished, don’t replace them.
2. Find Healthy Favorites
Discover and focus on foods your child enjoys, such as apples with peanut butter, smoothies, or guacamole. Make healthy food appealing and enjoyable.
3. Reintroduce Foods
Keep offering foods they previously rejected. Babies might need up to 15 tries to accept a new food. Sneak healthy ingredients into meals—like adding vegetables to pizza sauce.
4. Moderation is Key
Avoid extreme changes. Gradually replace unhealthy foods with healthier options, rather than making sudden, drastic changes.
5. Replace Old Habits with New Ones
Have you read Eat This Not That by David Zinczenko? This book provides alternatives to junk food, helping you make healthier choices. It’s worth exploring to see how replacing old habits with new, healthier ones can benefit your family.
6. Explain the Benefits of Healthy Eating
Help your children understand the value of healthy food. Instead of simply enforcing rules, explain how nutritious foods benefit their bodies and involve them in finding tasty, healthy options.
Trying out these tips can really help when it comes to dealing with picky eaters. By mixing up the foods you offer and keeping mealtime fun and positive, you’re setting your child up for healthier eating habits that will stick with them. Remember, it’s not just about avoiding picky eating—it’s about making mealtimes a chance for them to explore and enjoy a variety of foods. With a little patience and creativity, you can turn eating into a fun adventure and help your child develop a taste for all sorts of nutritious foods.
