Dealing with your Picky Eaters

It's right before dinner time and you hear the dreadful...

 

“Eeeeww, yuck!!”

Yes, it’s the familiar sound of a mealtime battle about to begin.

“That’s gross! I’m not eating that!”

Or worse:

“Phhhbbtt”… all over the wall.

Ugh.

You are trying to set a healthy example. But, when you are challenged by a picky-eater child or teen (or in some cases spouse) you end up banging your head against the wall.

This is especially true if you’re trying to change from unhealthy to healthy habits. Often it is hard to get everyone on board, especially if you have a young family.

Good news! There is hope.

Here are some guidelines for helping you get your entire family on board, including the picky ones.

• Do a kitchen clean-out and ensure that unhealthy foods are simply unavailable.

• Make healthy foods convenient and accessible for snacks and quick meals. For example, have a fruit bowl on the counter; pre-washed baby veggies in the fridge; raw nuts as quick-grab snacks; etc.
• Use inconvenience to your advantage. 
  
  “You want ice cream? Hmm, well, we don’t have any in the house. We’d have to go to the store to get it, and right now we’re doing homework. How about a banana instead? There’s one right here.”

• Use the “forbidden fruit” impulse to your advantage. Fuss over healthy foods or imply that they’re slightly special or off-limits. Serve them on the fancy plates or dole them out like it’s a big deal. Nothing is more appealing to kids than stuff they think they shouldn’t do!

I hope this helps you ease the pain of getting your family on board to healthier nutrition habits. To get more help with nutrition, give me a call at 561-880-5799 or click the link to schedule a FREE consultation.

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