Getting a Picky Eater to Eat

Cooking for a picky eater is a battle that all parents dread at least once while raising their children. The ranges of picky eaters seem to be increasing in the last few years; hence, more parents are seeking forms of advice to solve their picky eater problem. Having been brought up in a traditional German style family, everyone in my family enjoys trying new foods and entertaining children at the dining room table.

Here are ten steps to get your child to learn how to enjoy food and not be picky:

1. Let Kids Join In: Cooking can be fun and educational, for the child and the parent/guardian. A German tradition handed down throughout my family is that everyone holds their own in the household. Therefore, my parents allowed my sister and me to enter the kitchen and help cooking as soon as we could walk. This can be done in your household too, even if you are not German. For younger children, try having younger children do simple tasks in the kitchen such as smashing eggs on the countertop while the adult takes over with opening the egg into a bowl; break up lettuce for a salad by hand; sprinkle herbs on food; or even stir batter and et cetera.

2. Decorate the Meals: Children love foods that look interesting with shapes and colors. Look through your last vacation photos, which ones catch your eyes first? Most likely your eyes are drawn to the most vibrant colored or uniquely shaped ones, right? Take this new-found knowledge to the kitchen. Try purchasing a variety of colored foods for recipes. For instance, purchase red bell peppers instead of green bell peppers; purple potatoes instead of white ones; purple carrots instead of orange ones and et cetera.