If you have children, you understand the struggle of trying to get your picky eaters to eat nutritious meals. It seems nearly impossible to get them to eat anything too ‘different’.
There are a few tips for healthy eating for picky eaters. This will help ensure that your child develops healthy eating habits that will serve him or her well throughout adulthood. Read on to learn these tips.
1. Introducing Vegetables Slowly
This means introducing one vegetable at a time and trying different ways to incorporate it into the meals. This could be done by adding veggies to meals that the child already likes or by disguising them in the meal. Start with simple options, such as adding mashed avocado to toast or cheese and vegetable quesadillas.
Making small changes can eventually encourage child to eat healthy and become more willing to try a variety of vegetables. Furthermore, setting a good example by eating vegetables is another great way to get children to follow suit.
2. Making Healthy Eating Fun
Rather than simply serving up broccoli for dinner, have them create their broccoli rainbow full of red and orange peppers, purple cabbage, or even yellow pineapples! The more variety to choose from, the more likely it is to appeal to a picky palate.
Make them feel more in control and excited about what they are eating. Let them help plan out healthy meals for picky eaters and allow them to choose healthy options they think look best. Have them use a convenient meal delivery service to pick out what to eat, in case you worry that preparing their meal can make them further lose interest.
Cut-up apple slices, homemade trail mix, or fun food-shaped cutters. This can all help encourage picky eaters to make more nutritious selections.
3. Implementing Creative Garnishes
A good garnish should add flavor, texture, and color to a dish. Not only can it make the food look more enticing, but garnishes can also be a great way to sneak in nutrition, even for the pickiest eaters.
Add a sprinkle of nuts, kale chips, rolled-up carrot sticks, or diced tomatoes and peppers to a dish. This can add a ton of flavor and antioxidants that are good for the body. Garnishes can easily be changed to each eater’s preferences, making food more enjoyable and nourishing.
4. Experimenting With Texture
Picky eaters often are particular about food texture, liking crunchier and firmer foods more than softer ones. Creative ways to experiment with texture can be done by cutting vegetables into different shapes. You can also mix chopped vegetables into sauces or dressings and add a crunchy coating to plain foods like chicken pieces.
You can hide diced zucchini in one of their favorite pasta sauces. Or adding crushed cereal to meatballs can entice them to new flavors. Encourage them to try various types of bread to broaden their exposure to different textures.
Use These Tips to Help Encourage Healthy Eating for Picky Eaters
Although picky eaters prove to be a challenge when attempting to introduce healthier foods into their diet, there are many options to help encourage healthy eating for picky eaters. From introducing an array of flavors with vegetables and garnishes to creating a positive and encouraging environment for trying new foods, these four methods can help kids learn how to enjoy nutritious dietary options.
Start your journey to a healthier lifestyle today!
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