Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Dealing with a picky eater

Do you a child in your care that refuses to try something new? Many providers comment that they have children that just won't eat anything but chicken nuggets and french fries. Or that they would like to try new foods but don't thing their children will eat them. Don't let the fear of new foods stop you from introducing them. Children need multiple exposures to new foods to develop a taste for them.

 Make trying new foods a learning experience. Let the children touch it, smell it, and taste it. Talk about how it looks. Is it smooth? Does it have bumps? What color is it? Does it smell sweet? Try just a small tasting to start with. You might find that cooking it different ways will help a picky eater find a way they like it. Take apples for example: a child may not like a raw apple slice but if you take the apple slices, add a little cinnamon and microwave it till its soft they may like it. You could create a food tasting chart for each child. Give them a sticker to add to the chart when they try a new food.

You as the provider have the ability to help the children in your care create healthy eating habits for the rest of their life. 

Here are some other great activity ideas for trying new foods with a picky eater.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I have noticed with my own kids that when they associate something with a food they tend to eat it more. They love watching Buggs Bunny and he eats carrots. It made my kids want to eat carrots and they love it now. It is all about connecting the foods to something fun. http://www.mountainsideschool.com/programs.html

Unknown said...

My son is a huge picky eater, he only likes ice cream! I've tried even sneaking in some greens with his food and he just avoids it entirely. My son is only one year old though, I hope he can start eating healthier soon, or I might have to be more sneaky. I take my son to a daycare that really enforces healthy eating there, so fingers crossed!http://www.cottonwoodmontessorischools.com/Child_Development_Child_Care_Services_Riverside_CA.html

ChildrenOfAmerica said...

ABT - Always be tasting :) Growing up my parents made it their mission to have me always have different meals from different cultures. Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Italian etc. If you're looking for some great recipes with more classic foods, check out our Apple-A-Day blog for nutritious and delicious recipes. http://blog.childrenofamerica.com/