Tips for Picky Eaters
Ample on the platter / Food for tots
Beansprouts, Gurgaon discusses a major issue troubling most of the parents of toddlers.
Eating is the biggest task for a child. Making a child eat, is the toughest task for a parent. We at Beansprouts have seen children across the globe go through a picky eating phase from about age 2 to about age 4.
Picky eating habits are more likely to develop when parents punish, bribe, or reward their children’s eating behaviors. The goal of feeding a picky eater should be to try new foods and to keep food from starting a battle. The psychology is based on the principles of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) — parents themselves can train to coach their children to try new foods on a daily basis.
Children across the globe go through a picky eating phase from about age 2 to about age 4. Mostly it starts out partly as a built-in protective impulse in a child. Parents can’t or should not blame themselves for this as mostly in the siblings we can see the variation.
Parents typically offer food three to five times before deciding their child is never going to like it. We must try over and over again. As research shows that it takes eight to 12 times to introduce a new food before your child will accept it
We must also ensure not to over-stress or over-expect from our young ones. The child should be sufficiently hungry, with an adequate gap between snacking and eating. Let the entire family make it a celebration time for eating.
One must ensure to watch the tone while talking about food. No reprimand, authority or accusation can bring the desired result. Try to be a role model for your child.
A few more tips we can use are giving small portions of food, combining various food items, and regular positive enforcement can work wonders, at times.
Children should learn how to overcome extremely picky eating not just for the sake of their physical health, but for a greater sense of well-being. Eating a range of foods and enjoying a meal is critical to a well-lived life.
At Beansprouts, we teach children about the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables. We engage the little ones and raise their interest by introducing them to the entire process of farm to table for vegetables and fruits. This way, toddlers are able to relate to the process of growing Produce and realize they are eating something healthy that is truly beneficial for them.