X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

10 tricky ways to deal with a picky eater

3 min read

Don’t give up on your little picky eater. Patience is key. Getting them to fall in love with real food that’s good for them may be an uphill climb but it’s a journey worth taking!

Blogger and best-selling author of 100 Days of Real Food Lisa Leake has some insightful (and totally practical) solutions to get your picky eater to actually enjoy food that’s good for them.

1. Make Small ‘Switches’

Instead of using processed ingredients, go for healthier ones. Lisa suggest trying Whole-Wheat Macaroni and Cheese, Whole-Wheat banana pancakes and Whole-wheat Pizza.

2. Give them a good first impression

If you want them to like food that’s good for them, you have to make sure to introduce them well. For instance, deep fry sweet potatoes to turn them into french fries. Or, you can drizzle steamed fish with butter sauce!

They’ll be much more receptive to give food that next time it’s served, regardless of how it’s prepared.

photo: dreamstime

photo: dreamstime

3. Let them choose ingredients

Giving them the power to pick fruits and vegetables at the supermarket is one way to get a picky eater to eat healthier.

Or you can teach them to grow some produce such as tomatoes in your backyard!

4. Bribe them

Lisa suggests tiny bribes here and there to get picky eaters to eat right. It’s not always about junk food and sweets, though. For instance, kids who love cheese sticks can be promised their very own platter if they finish their veggies.

5. Come clean about “veggie-hiding”

If you’re a stealthy parent who’s managed to succeed in hiding vegetables in your kid’s meals, you should also know that it’s important to let your kids know about it.

This helps teach them that the vegetables they dread aren’t so bad after all! Coming clean about your “ninja” skills may even save you the trouble of hiding veggies in the future.

cookingkids

photo: shutterstock

6.  Involve them in cooking

Teach them how to be hands-on when choosing recipes and preparing their food. This makes a good experience. And it’s 100% guaranteed that a kid would be willing to try just about anything if they helped prepare it.

7. The “one-bite rule”

If they refuse to try a new food, tell them to just take one bite and then they can wash it down with a drink they like. Don’t get them into the habit of spitting food out. Who knows? You might just get them to take more bites eventually.

8. Don’t pressure or upset them

Achieve that balance of encouraging them without pushing them too hard. Pressuring them instils negative feelings about mealtime.

picky feat

photo: shutterstock

9. Introduce new food one at a time

Don’t add new food all at once. Ease them into these by pairing each new food with other real food that you know they already enjoy.

10. Manage your expectations

Don’t believe for a second that turning your kids and entire family into lovers of healthy, real food is easy. Be willing to make the effort because switching to wholesome meals takes a whole lot of effort.

Partner Stories
TAP Reviews: Zuo Yue Confinement Food, Perfect for Recuperating Postpartum Mums
TAP Reviews: Zuo Yue Confinement Food, Perfect for Recuperating Postpartum Mums
Not All Health Drinks Are as Healthy as They Claim to Be. Find Out Why
Not All Health Drinks Are as Healthy as They Claim to Be. Find Out Why
3 A+ Recipes for Supercharged Studying This Exam Week
3 A+ Recipes for Supercharged Studying This Exam Week
Helpful Tips On How To Survive Exams This Exam Season
Helpful Tips On How To Survive Exams This Exam Season

With patience and perseverance, you’ll be able to see the fruits of your labor. Seeing your family happier and healthier will prove that it’s all worth it in the long run!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Bianchi Mendoza

  • Home
  • /
  • Meal Planner
  • /
  • 10 tricky ways to deal with a picky eater
Share:
  • Is Your Child A "Picky Eater?": Telling A Child They’re A ‘Picky Eater’ Is Actually Name-calling

    Is Your Child A "Picky Eater?": Telling A Child They’re A ‘Picky Eater’ Is Actually Name-calling

  • Expert advice on how to deal with picky eaters

    Expert advice on how to deal with picky eaters

  • Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

    Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Is Your Child A "Picky Eater?": Telling A Child They’re A ‘Picky Eater’ Is Actually Name-calling

    Is Your Child A "Picky Eater?": Telling A Child They’re A ‘Picky Eater’ Is Actually Name-calling

  • Expert advice on how to deal with picky eaters

    Expert advice on how to deal with picky eaters

  • Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

    Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.