5 Tips if Your Child is a Fussy Eater

As a parent, you want your child to have a genuine interest in healthy eating, making it a challenge when you have a child who is a fussy eater.

No matter how old your child is, there are plenty of things that you can do to encourage your child to eat a more well-balanced diet that is full of nutritious foods. In this article, we’ve rounded up five top tips to help all of the parents out there who have kids who are fussy eaters.

Respect Your Child’s Decisions

Parents can often find themselves trying to force certain foods onto their children.

If your child isn’t hungry or they aren’t keen on the food that you’ve given them, respect their decision not to eat. This might show them that you aren’t trying to force something that tastes horrible onto them, and this can actually spark their interest in the food. It’s kind of like using reverse psychology!

Relax and Stay Calm

Parents can often get angry or frustrated that their children aren’t eating what they place in front of them. However, this isn’t always the best way to go about things when your child is refusing to eat lunch or dinner.

Instead of raising your voice and trying to force your little one to eat everything on the plate, the best thing to do is relax. Take a few deep breaths and keep yourself calm instead of losing your temper. Gently encourage your child to try out new foods and praise them when they do.

Stick to a Regular Routine

A lot of children like routine when it comes to food. By planning out meals and snacks and sticking to a regular eating schedule, it becomes easier for children to recognize when it is time to eat.

It also enables you to recognize when their natural hunger cues appear, so you can keep their energy levels balanced and fuel them with nutritious foods.

Make Food Fun and Exciting

There are a few different ways that you can make food more interesting to children. You can get your kids involved in the cooking themselves by getting them to stir ingredients in the mixing bowl or portion out their food on their plates.

You could also make their food look intriguing by adding vibrant veggies or pairing up traditionally boring or bland foods with exciting dips and sauces. This is going to pique their interest and make healthy meals and snacks more exciting.

Set a Great Example

When you show your interest in delicious, healthy foods of all varieties, your child is likely to follow suit. By setting an example and showing them that different meals and snacks are enjoyable to eat, your children will be more willing to try out new foods themselves.