This is a very commonly asked question! If your child is a picky eater, how do they get proper nutrition?? Without proper consumption of vegetables, fruits and proteins, our body will be negatively impacted.
This is the cycle I always tell parents about. You need to eat well so your body feels good. When your body feels good, you socialize, have good attention, self regulate, have good digestion, are not lethargic, have better sleep and are overall healthy.
If your child is not eating well, there are noted symptoms of ADHD, Sensory Processing difficulties as well areas of increased psychological issues. Here are some useful tips that have worked with my children and the children I have treated for 21 years.
Make Food Fun
I have said this time and time again. If you present food in a fun way, children are more likely to try it. You can make silly faces in pancakes or pizza, use cookie cutters to make sandwiches more appetizing. Make arts and crafts projects out of fruits and vegetables. Have a variety of dips that your child can feel like they are in control of their food.
Hide Nutrients Whenever Possible
I have had so much success with parents hiding their nutrients. For example, I tell them to make a healthy shake for breakfast. You can put fruit, yogurt and a probiotic in the shake. They won’t even notice the extra nutrients. You will see an improvement in their attention once you start helping your picky eater get the proper nutrition they need.
Talk To Your Pediatrician
If your child is having a difficult time they can have supplements in drink form or vitamin chews that will help them get the proper nutrition they need to grow.
Other Areas To Address
If your picky eater has sensory concerns, they will have a difficult time tolerating textures and temperatures in regard to their food. Speak to your Pediatrician. An Occupational Therapist can help your child tolerate sensory input allowing them the skills they require to improve their food repertoire.
Set a Good Example
When your child sees everyone eating, they are more likely to try the food. It takes around 10-12 exposures of the food you want them to eat before they try it. When they do make sure to praise them even if they don’t like it. We all can remember when we were younger we avoided certain foods or flavors. Over time and exposure, we all change our preferred tastes. So keep on introducing the foods, maybe the 9th time they like it.
Follow along with us at Play With Your Food for fun new activities to help introduce new foods to your kids!