Picking Apart Picky Eating

I consistently have people commenting on what a wonderful eater my daughter is. She will literally walk around the house eating frozen spinach out of a bag for a snack. Even I think that’s a little weird, but I definitely allow it. Now yes, I am fully willing to admit that having my daughter being so open to diverse foods could partly be luck; but the strategic steps I took to ensure she would not be a picky eater are backed by expert advice. I highly encourage exploring Ellyn Satter Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for more elaboration on what I am going to highlight. Focus on the fact that there is a division of responsibility when it comes to your child eating. You are responsible for providing the meals and the child is responsible for choosing what they eat. Do not create a culture of becoming a short order cook because if you do it once your more than likely going to be a short order chef for a very long time. Well, without further, ado lets dive into some of my tip’s and tricks!

Introduce Foods Unseasoned. Babies have about 30,000 taste buds surrounding their mouths. This is about 3 times the amount the average adult has (10,000). Seasonings can be too powerful for all of those taste buds. Rejection of a food may actually be a rejection to a seasoning. I know having unseasoned foods may seem a little foreign or even a hassle to prepare, but I assure you it is no additional work. The concept here is that you want your child to develop the taste and appreciate for a food item (especially fruits and vegetables) rather than the whatever seasoning is in it. When we first started introducing foods to my daughter, I simply pulled out her portion before I seasoned our food. It was no extra hassle and, it let the food cool down to an acceptable temperature by the time we sat down to eat. So, it was actually more convenient!

Have Multiple Exposures.

Something that is commonly quoted in the pediatric nutrition world is “it can take up to 30 exposure before a child will eat the food”. This rang true for my daughter on many foods. Also, I did not realize that she could love something like sweet potatoes one day and then next week they were being thrown on the floor. Having consistent exposure to various foods helps familiarize your child to the new strange looks and flavors that foods have. Imagine never seeing an orange food before and then boom a carrot is on your plate. Apprehension can be a normal response. Also, as children develop their tastes will also develop. I will go on record that it took about 10 exposures before my daughter ever even touched broccoli. By about exposure 20 she would eat it but only roasted. Now broccoli is one of her favorite vegetables!

Use Various Preparation Methods I actually like this advice for everyone, not just children. There is a big taste difference among the various preparation methods. Just think about how different something like potatoes can taste between baking, roasting, steaming, frying and mashing. Get creative with preparing foods and you may even find a new favorite for yourself! As I mentioned earlier, my daughter would only eat roasted broccoli for the longest time. She has since evolved to like it a variety of ways, but we were able to find something that worked and used that to eventually branch out.

Cook together Children are more inclined to eat foods that they have helped prepare. I look at this as a curiosity/fear thing. If a child is able to see how a food is prepared, they are familiarizing themselves with it and getting to know the food so that they are less afraid of it. Once you start introducing seasonings, they may even become excited to see some of their favorite spices go into the foods. If my daughter sees salt being added, you better believe she is going to be trying that food.

Don’t hide foods. I know that it is a really popular movement to hide foods into other foods. Examples include veggie smoothies or sloppy joes with cauliflower and God knows what else. Let me be clear, it is absolutely ok to add veggies and other items into foods; but it’s the sneaking them in where the problem lies. Let your children see that adding spinach to a smoothie can be delicious. If your hiding foods, it creates a distrust in what is being served. Your child can then become custom to scavenging for hidden items that they refuse to eat. Thus, perpetuating the very problem your trying to avoid. Hiding foods also could lead your child to not understand that they do like something. Then when they see it in a different form they are unlikely to eat it because it looks unfamiliar and new.

Don’t oversell it This one can be hard, especially when it is a first introduction. If you place something on a child’s plate and just leave it alone, they will more than likely come to try it. This does not mean that you can’t talk about the new food or say it is “yummy”, but you do not want to bring emotions into it. Sometimes they just need to see you eating it or saying “this is tasty” and then they will try the food. If they do not try it, there is always next time! Remember, it can take up to 30 exposures.

Don’t force it Picky eating can be frustrating; but trust me as someone that has been on the receiving end, force feed will only further evolve the problem. We want to create a positive environment around foods and encourage positive behaviors. Forcing foods can be interpreted as a punishment and prepare your kid for a fight every time they see “that” food. Typically, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are the villains here. You absolutely can ask your child to try something but if they say no, we should respect that. Plus, they will be seeing that food again so you can catch them on the flip side.

In the grand scheme of things, fighting with your child over whether they should eat something is generally not worth the emotional toll. Consistently introducing foods and the various ways they can be prepared is the best way to getting your child on the track of being an adventurous eater. If you feel that part of your child’s pickiness is due to specific food textures or swallowing abilities, it could be beneficial to seek out a pediatric dietitian. They generally work together with speech pathologist to take a multifaceted approach to these types of aversions.

Have you tried any of these techniques? Are there any you are excited to try? Let me know in the comments below.