Follow these 10 simple tips to deal with a fussy eater

Ask any mother and she'd agree that it's a struggle to deal with kids who always want to run away the moment you talk about food. Some of you might have felt like giving up when your tiny-tots turns to be a fussy eater and refuses to eat anything and everything that has been offered.

At times even threatening the kids also doesn’t help as the child might end up hating the whole idea of having healthy meals.

Here are 10 tips to deal with a child who is a fussy eater.

#1 Indulge them in cooking

As soon as your child turns two, buy them different toy cooking utensils. You can also get them colourful kitchen sets including muffin and cupcakes moulds, which will inspire them to cook.

Children are always curious to know everything about the new stuff so it’s best to take them to your kitchen at the time of cooking. While you prepare your dishes on the stove, ask your child to help you by making dough or start cooking on their little utensils.

Once they prepare something on their own, they will definitely love to eat the same. Giving them a rolling pin to make small chapatis is the best thing to start with.

#2 Get innovative with food

Not just the toys, there are various utensils available in the market such as heart-shaped tava for making omelets, designer baking equipments and smiley trays for making French fries. These amusing shaped dishes attract kids to eat every time they see them.

You can also decorate the sandwiches and pizzas with tomato ketchup to make it look interesting. Designing the plates with a number of fruits after chopping them in different shapes can also be exciting as well daunting for your kids. You can also write your kids’ name with the cheese in soups.

#3 Add colour to your meals

Keeping attractive coloured fruits in your refrigerator such as strawberries, grapes, dragon fruit, watermelon and bananas can be a great idea, as children love to see many colours around.

Start serving them food as per their favourite colour. If they don’t like to have white rice, you can add some vegetables to make pulao, which will have a different colour.

Serving food in colourful crockery of their choice might also attract them to eat.

#4 Give them a variety of options

Kids hate monotony. Giving independence to your child for choosing food is very important especially when they are fussy.

Instead of asking your child if he/she is ready to eat, ask them if they would like to have bread, an omelet or Chinese noodles.

Children will be more likely to eat once you give them at least three to four options every time. That ways you can always try and provide them some healthy options.

#5 Grocery shopping

Don’t get stressed if your kid snatches a carrot or cucumber from the basket and starts eating when he/she goes with you for shopping. It’s important that you expose your child to all sorts of food items available in the grocery store.

The more your kids will see variety of food, the more he/she would want to try it. Let them pick up packets of their choice even if they don’t know anything about them and make sure to cook it and serve to your child as soon as you come back from shopping.

#6 Healthy eating joints

Kids love outings so why not take them out at least once a week for lunch or dinner and make them experience delicious desserts after the meal.

It’s quite normal that your kid will ask you to take him to a Pizza hut or McDonald’s but make it a point to take him/her to a new joint every time that serves healthy salads, smoothies and ice creams. You can also surprise your kids by getting your lunch/ dinner table decorated with balloons and kid-friendly crockery.

#7 Cooking classes

Getting your children enrolled in cooking classes can also make them interested in food. A couple of classes in a week will explain to your children how cooking is an enduring life skill that can be artistic, creative and very surprising.

Once they start learning new recipes, they would take pride in preparing themselves at home. You can also get them right outfit for kitchen like an apron of their choice, gloves and a traditional chef hat so that they stay excited in cooking as well as tasting.

#8 Appreciation

Making a promise to applaud and clap after every time your tiny tots finish their meal can actually motivate them to eat. Even when your toddler is not ready to speak anything, the sound of your claps will give him/her happy feelings. Appreciating words like you are a big boy or a big girl now and you can easily finish this bowl of fruits or you have become strong because you can definitely finish a glass of milk can also be very beneficial to make your innocent kids eat.

#9 Feed them while watching TV

It’s not always bad to sit in front of the television and have your meals. If your child is a fussy eater, you can play his/her favourite cartoon channel or their favourite music at the time of feeding. Make their meal times as happy as possible even if that includes showing them some plays, videos or poems on your mobile phones.

Don’t bother much even if your child spills his/her drink or food on the dining table of on the clothes. At times you will find your kid so involved in the electronic gadgets that he/she will end up finishing the entire meal without creating a fuss about it.

As your child starts getting older, try and involve him in the family discussions at the mealtime rather than sitting in front of the television.

#10 Introduce them to new foods

If you are an Indian, don’t just stress upon making your kids have Indian dishes. It’s always a great idea to introduce your kids to international cuisines so that they stay aware of all the eating options as well as excited. Not just the proper meals, you can also start with fruits.

Instead of bananas and oranges, you can introduce your child to English cherries, Turkish apricots or Swiss strawberries. Making them eat noodles or rice with chopsticks and pizzas or sandwiches with a fork will also keep them interested in food.

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Written by

Radhika Mehta

fussy eater