Is your family table a war zone?
Get your fussy eaters involved in preparing family meals
Family mealtimes can easily become war zones when your little ones are fussy eaters. As a parent, you want to bring your family together to share family mealtimes, but if you have a fussy eater you’re probably wondering if it’s worth the hassle.
Many toddlers go through a phase of being fussy about their food – usually once they realise that parents won’t resort to force-feeding them. It gives them a level of control as they try to assert themselves.
Some children refuse point blank to try any new foods, insisting they don’t like them, even when they haven’t even tried them! Foods that smell or look different, such as certain vegetables, meats and cheeses, seafood and avocado are common foods that kids are likely to refuse to even taste.
Eventually, most children will get over this phase and learn to try new foods. However, a small number of children remain fussy eaters until adulthood.
If you have a fussy eater, it’s very tempting to give in and offer them alternative snacks and meals. However while this may offer short-term peace for family mealtimes, it’s best avoided as it will perpetuate the problem! Parents who give in to kids’ fussy eating habits are effectively teaching them to get their own way by making a fuss.
If your fussy eater limits themselves to a small range of foods, gradually limit then stop serving those foods to break the pattern. They won’t starve themselves – when they get hungry they will be a lot less fussy and learn to eat what you have available.
One way to encourage kids to try new foods is to involve them in the planning and preparation of family mealtimes. If they are involved in creating the meal – planning, shopping, cooking and even growing some of the ingredients – they’re more likely to eat it. This is also an opportunity to teach them about healthy food and the relationship between food, nutrition and wellbeing.
To expose your children to new foods:
- Make one meal each week that you haven’t eaten before
- For little ones, give them a choice of two meals and ask them to choose one
- Get your children involved in growing, shopping, preparing and cooking (under supervision) different foods
If you have one or more fussy eaters, comment to tell us how you manage your family mealtimes.
