Guest Author - Terri Terns-Hedrick

Every parent and caretaker of children has probably encountered what they call a “picky eater.” So many parents have asked me, “How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods?” Oftentimes parents give up and give in to the less-than-healthy alternative because they believe that their children “just won’t eat it.”

I am blessed with two girls who will eat just about anything. My own mother, who provided a healthy balance of nutritious meals and snack/dessert type foods while we were growing up, still finds it amusing that my girls do what they call “The Broccoli Dance” whenever they see broccoli in the steamer, or ask over and over and over again for things like avocado and squash.

I am not saying that my girls are perfect eaters by any means, or that I am the perfect mom whose children eat everything I serve. What I am saying is that if you begin early, your children will grow up to enjoy the healthy stuff and even choose it over the junk.

Here are some key points to think about:

1. Remember that “Picky Eater” is simply a label. It does not really mean anything other than This Is My Child Who Won’t Eat What I Want Them To Eat. Think about it. Calling your child a picky eater means that their tastes are different from yours, or their desires are different from yours. Perhaps your child really does not like brussel sprouts. That’s okay. Offer an alternative.

2. Don’t turn a mealtime into a power struggle. Many people I know with issues surrounding food have grown up in households where mealtime was all about power struggles between parents and kids. “You can’t have any dessert until you eat all of your meat.” Or, “You will sit here at this table until that plate is clean!” Phrases like this cause kids to withdraw from mealtime and set them up for food issues later on in life. Mealtime is supposed to be about bringing family together. It’s meant to be enjoyed and shared.

3. Kids grow no matter what. I am not saying to feed them “whatever” and don’t worry about it. What I am saying is that children have their own regulatory systems and they instinctively know what their bodies need and how much they need. Trust them. How many times have you seen toddlers, in the midst of a growth spurt, go for what seems like days without eating anything substantial, only to eat around the clock for days following a “food strike”? Have you ever known your child to have a craving for a certain something that completely surprised you? This is the child’s body talking. This is akin to a pregnant mother’s body telling her what she needs nutritionally through the onset of cravings.

4. Serve up your child’s meals buffet style. Allow them to choose what they want and how much they want. This gives them a feeling of power and ownership. Trust them and let them choose.

5. Involve your children in the preparation of meals. This makes it fun! You may find your child more willing to try new things as they are engaged in the task of preparing them.

So what if you didn’t start them off on the best foot, nutritionally-speaking? How do you change their eating habits? This is a tougher question, but it begins with you and what you allow into the house. Your children don’t do the grocery shopping. You do. Buy enough healthy foods to give your children choices, but don’t bring in the junk.

There may be some tears shed. I have a family member who went through this with her son. He was about eight years old at the time his mother decided that McDonald’s French fries and pizza were no longer going to be his mainstays. She revamped her entire family’s eating habits and her cooking habits. It took about a month but she held steadfast and explained to her son what she was doing and why. It worked! Her son discovered that he actually “likes” chicken, hamburger and even green beans!