How to Cook for a Picky Eater
You try not to worry too much about how your child who survives eating the same thing everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but after patiently working as his private, short-order cook through his toddler and then preschool years, you're wondering if things will ever change. You are probably concerned about whether his nutritional needs are getting met. With creativity and a proactive approach, you can cook meals for your picky eater that involve more a list of items you can count on one hand and that incorporate green in ways other than lime gelatin.
Instructions
Get Your Child Cooking
Include children in the meal preparation. Measuring pasta or rice for casseroles and tearing lettuce into small pieces for salads are good tasks for beginning cooks. Stirring and spreading are some tasks that can be taken on by youngsters. In addition to providing good learning experiences, working alongside adults to prepare meals increases the likelihood that kids will want to taste the finished product. Let kids make choices to control the final product. Offer options in food groups with similar nutritional value such as baked potatoes topped with yogurt or oven-roasted sweet potato fries. If your child detests green vegetables, offer orange vegetables instead, suggests HealthyChildren.org. Children presented with choices can be more apt to eat what they were able to select. Nestle nutritionally dense food in kid-friendly food. Thinly spread nut butter beneath a layer of honey makes whole-grain toast extra tasty and adds protein. Dried milk power stirred into blended fruit drinks increases calcium intake. Try incorporating finely grated carrots into muffins and baked goods for added vitamins. Adding finely chopped eggs to ranch dressing to offer with whole wheat crackers for dipping ups the nutrition content. A snack of hummus served with lightly blanched and cooled sugar snap peas may entice children to get a healthy serving of vegetables before the meal. Blending mild tasting vegetables like steamed squash into kid-approved pasta sauces is one way to sneak in bonus vitamins that might be rejected in their original form. Pairing Old Favorites With Nutrition Winners
Serve something nutritious alongside a favorite. A small stack of matchstick carrot twigs on a plate with a gooey grilled cheese sandwich just might get eaten. A drizzle of maple syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar with cinnamon on morning oatmeal, or his favorite cheese melted into the scrambled eggs and a dab of real butter and a small spoon of jelly on whole grain toast may ensure that breakfast nutrition finds its way into your picky eater's tummy. Bury healthy dried fruit such as raisins, cherries and cranberries in oatmeal cookies or garnish whole grain pancakes with fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas. When preparing family meals, swap out disliked ingredients for more kid-friendly options on a portion of the servings - such as shredded cheese instead of onions on a salad. Let kids control how much sauce to add to their own plates of pasta or stir-fried vegetables.
