It’s normal for kids to be fussy about food – they have an innate distrust of new things. When faced with a child who shows no interest in trying something new, many parents give in, deciding that leaning on a trusty favorite is better than having the child eat nothing at all. But childhood nutrition instructor Harriet Worobey says it’s more important for parents to serve a variety of healthy foods than simply to get their kids to eat something.
Worobey outlines six common mistakes parents make when feeding their children:
1. Sending kids out of the kitchen. Studies suggest that involving children in meal preparation is an important first step in getting them to try new foods.
2. Pressuring them to take a bite. Demanding that a child eat at least one bite of everything might seem reasonable, but studies show children react negatively when parents pressure them to eat foods.
3. Restricting foods. Research shows that if a parent restricts certain foods, like cookies, children just want it more. Don’t bring foods you feel you’ll need to restrict into the house. Instead, buy healthy snacks and give children free access to your food cabinets.
4. Dieting in front of your children. Kids are tuned into their parents’ eating preferences and are far more likely to try foods if they see their mother or father eating them.
5. Serving boring vegetables. Don’t be afraid to dress up the vegetables a bit, adding a little butter, ranch dressing, cheese sauce or brown sugar to enhance flavor.
6. Giving up too soon. With young children, it may take 10 or more attempts over several months to introduce a food.
