Every parent knows the frustration of dealing with a child who is a picky eater. While parents typically try to plan healthy and tasty meals for the family, a choosy child can derail dinnertime peace by refusing to eat what is on his or her plate. Short of making multiple meals for the family (which is time consuming, not cost-effective and ultimately frustrating for the person preparing these meals and likely cleaning them up), what can be done? Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to promote peace at the dinner table – and best of all, they are fairly easy to implement.
Find Out What Everyone Likes
One easy way to be sure that everyone in the family feels like their favorites are served is to simply find out what each family member does and doesn't like to eat. Have the meal planner make a list of the top twenty or so main dishes served along with side dishes and even desserts. Give each family member a different color pen and ask each of them to put a check mark by every dish or dessert they enjoy. Then have each of them write down his or her name along with the top three foods they don't like or simply won't eat at the bottom of the page.
Younger children may need help with this task, or a parent can read the list to them and record each child's preferences. Family members can also be asked if there are meals they would like to try that aren't currently being served for dinner.
This will make meal planning easy – simply be sure to stagger the meals somewhat so all family members gets a fair amount of meals they enjoy. If there are meals no one likes and the meal planner doesn't care for them either, simply replace that meal option with a new dinnertime suggestion or a family favorite. This can end a lot of mealtime headaches and by using this method of meal planning, none can complain that they never get to eat their favorites!
The Empty Bowl Strategy
This strategy was developed for personal use with a picky eater – and it has been a lifesaver for mealtime sanity. Simply put, get a set of small bowls (ramekin or single serving size) and if you know you are serving something that a child (or adult) simply won't or cannot eat, place the empty bowl on the table and let that family member know that he needs to find something healthy to put in that bowl. Keeping a selection of popular fresh fruits and/or vegetables in the refrigerator makes this easy and fun. Easy vegetables to use include grape or cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, and sugar snap peas; easy fruits to use include grapes, strawberries, and blueberries.
Kids like to choose things for themselves and parents feel confident that the child is eating something healthy when using this method. If preferred, an adult can choose the bowl's contents for the child as long as it is something the child will eat. Remember, the whole idea is to make mealtime more peaceful and enjoyable for everyone!
Be a Role Model
A third way that parents can help picky eaters not fuss over what's on their plate is to model good mealtime behavior themselves. Parents need to be sure that they are eating lots of healthy foods and enjoying them – if a child sees a parent making healthy, good food choices, over time it may make them more likely to enjoy those types of foods themselves. If a parent is picky overtly, a child will model this behavior, so parents should be sure to express their likes overtly and keep their outward dislikes to a minimum. Kids mimic adult behavior, so parents must set the tone at the table.
Following these simple steps will promote a healthier, happier dinnertime for everyone in the family.
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