Food Ideas for Picky Eaters

by Jennifer Morrow

One dilemma that many parents face is a child who is a picky eater.  A child may go through a phase where they will only eat peanut butter or macaroni and cheese.  So what is a parent to do?  Dinner  is not the time for a busy parent to become a short order cook, but it is important to provide a nutritious meal.  Children also follow the lead of adults, so show them by setting a good example in food choices.  Here are a few suggestions on ways that may make this 'phase' easier on everyone.

Babies  A parent is ready to start their 4-6 month old on table foods.  It is very important to talk with the child's Pediatrician before hand to discuss allergies, constipation, under/over feeding, etc.  After both the parent and doctor are comfortable it is best to introduce one food at a time.  Most doctors will suggest that vegetables are the best food with which to start.  Pre made baby foods are very convenient but are just as easy to make at home.  Soft cooked foods like squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and green beans can be purred and then placed on a wax paper covered cookie sheet with an ice cream scoop and frozen.  Once frozen, they can be placed in single serving containers and stored in the freezer.  When ready to use, just microwave and dinner is served!  Once the child is ready to try fruits and meat, this method of food preparation will work just as well.

Toddler  A toddler will enjoy eating foods with their fingers.  This is also good for hand/eye coordination.  Once again it is a good idea to talk with the child's Pediatrician to make sure their dietary needs are being met.  Some great finger foods are:  pasta shells, peas, avocado, small cut green beans, cooked carrot cubes,  bananas, kiwi and strawberries.  Harder fruits and vegetables such as fresh apples, peaches, pears, carrots and squash can be grated so the child is able to pick it up and chew to avoid chocking.  The toddler may also show signs of independence and want to hold their own spoon.  Some foods that may be easier to eat are cottage cheese, yogurt, jello, apple sauce and  mashed potatoes.

Pre-Schooler  By the time a child reached this age they are very independent at meal times.  Fresh vegetables may be less appealing at this age.  One way to encourage a picky eater to try a taste would be to offer some salad dressing or cheese sauce for dipping.  This is also a great way to encourage a child to taste fresh fruits, by offering a fruit dip such as yogurt.  Sandwiches are a big part of a pre schoolers diet.  If a parent is tired of always offering peanut butter and jelly, they may want to introduce tuna, egg salad or hummus by cutting the bread in a fun shape by using a large cookie cutter.  A theme lunch may be just the ticket!  Use a teddy bear cookie cutter on a tuna sandwich with pretzels and teddy bear shaped cookies for dessert.  To take the theme lunch one step further, invite the child's favorite teddy bear and have a picnic outside.

Young School Age  It is a good idea to have a child this age help with meal preparation.  Way to do this may be to have them help with the grocery list by offer ideas for meals.  A parent can use this time to talk about balanced meals and nutrition.  The child can also have responsibilities at the grocery store.  They can take a list of ingredients needed for a particular meal they have suggested and bring the items needed to the shopping cart.  When it is time to prepare this meal, they child can be the chefs assistant.  Late September is a great times of year to purchase a child safety knife.  They are usually found in a pumpkin carving kit.  The school age child can cut vegetables for a salad or measure out ingredients for muffins or bread.  Another great time  for a parent to take advantage of a learning opportunity by talking about math skills.  A picky eater is more likely to try a new food if they have had a hand in it's preparation.

Older Children  One problem a parent might find themselves with an older child is how to jazz up their school lunches.  Creative bread alternatives are corn or flour tortillas, English muffins, rice cakes, bagels or pita bread.  Consider replacing the jelly in the classic PB&J with fresh apple or banana slices.  The older child will also enjoy dips with fresh veggies and fruits.  If the school is equipped with a microwave, leftover are a great alternative.  One note though, if the child did not eat it for dinner chance are they will not like if for lunch the next day.  A hot dog on a bun, chicken nuggets or fish sticks may be a welcome change to sandwiches.  Fun extras are single serving pop corn, cheese and crackers, cheese stick or cubes and yogurt.  Try freezing the yogurt to insure it stays safe to eat.  On colder days soup is a great lunchtime alternative.  Warming up the thermos by rinsing with hot water will better prepare it to keep soups warm till lunch time.

Book Suggestions

D.W. The Picky Eater by Marc Brown.  D.W. is Arthur's little sister.  She almost ruins a family outing by refusing to try new foods.

The Cheerios Play Book a Little Simon book published by Simon & Schuster.  This is a wonderful interactive book that uses Cheerios for pattern completion and counting.  (Cheerios are a registered trademark of General Mills, Inc.)

Recipes

Vegetable dip:  4 oz of soft cream cheese, 1/3 C sour cream and 1 Tablespoon of any dried salad dressing mix.  Mix and serve with fresh veggie sticks.

Fruit dip:  8 oz container of Strawberry yogurt & 1/2 C whipped topping.  Mix together and serve with sliced fruit.