No matter how hard you try when they’re young, some kids are prone to become picky eaters. While most of them will grow out of it as they get older, not all do, which is frustrating as a parent. If you want to put the kibosh on this picky eating thing once and for all, then our guide on how to get your kids to stop being picky eaters is just for you.
Start With Something Small
If you’ve ever given your child a plate full of new foods for them to try, you shouldn’t be shocked when they turn their nose up at it. Many adults are as likely to turn down something completely foreign to them in the same way. Instead, introduce new foods to them one at a time. If a child sees broccoli on the same plate as mac and cheese, they are sometimes more willing to give it a try.
Don’t Overwhelm Them
When your kid inevitably turns down the new food you gave them, don’t turn mean and try to force it down their throat. Even if you manage to get them to swallow it, they’ll be afraid to ever eat it again due to the way you reacted.
As an alternative method, try to reason with your child and find out what they don’t like about it. If they simply don’t like the way it looks, try telling them to close their eyes and eat it. It might just do the trick.
Incentivize Them
Kids usually aren’t very reasonable, so our previous method will have varying degrees of success. If you can’t rationalize with them, it’s time to try incentivizing them. You could do this by making a deal with them. For example, if they finish their veggies, they can buy a new skin in Fortnite. While you don’t want to make a habit out of this, it’s effective when used in moderation.
Try To Disguise It
If you want to go old-school with your attempts, do what your parents used to do: disguise it as something else without telling your kids what it is. Once you put the food in front of them, let them eat it for a while. Make it hard for them to deny that they liked it when you tell them what was in it.
If you are looking for ways to disguise the food in question, we’d recommend adding some spice to it. Granted, if your child doesn’t like spicy food, this isn’t the best choice, but there are ways to introduce them to it. We can’t recommend it enough since it’s effective at blocking out other tastes.
Let Them Decide
In the end, the best method on how to get your kids to stop being picky eaters is to let them make the decision. If you give your child two foods they don’t like to choose from, at least it’s their decision on what they have to eat.