Feeding Picky Eaters: Solving the Suppertime Saga

It's inevitable. There will come a day when a child faced with a favorite meal that has always been welcomed and enjoyed turns his or her head and clamps the mouth shut. Encouragement doesn't work, insistence even less. The next supper, the same situation occurs, and the phase begins: Your child becomes a picky eater. Relax; there's hope.

First of all, it's important to know that what children eat at each meal is less important than what children eat overall during a week's period. A child may only pick at some meals and absolutely devour others. When a parent sits down to average out what a child has eaten in the past week, it's clear to see that overall, most kids are eating enough. They'll never let themselves starve, either.

It's also important to recognize that picky eating is a phase that most kids go through. They discover that they have some control over a tiny portion of their life – what goes in their mouth – and they make the most of it. Toddlers also grow less between the ages of one and three, which means they need less food. This period will pass, so have patience. Here are some tips to help make the phase easier on both parent and child:

• Don't turn suppertime into a daily fight. Associations are set young and children need to realize that suppertime is a pleasant, relaxed affair, regardless of what they eat. Creating a time of day that everyone dreads isn't productive or proactive.

• Don't force kids to eat. A battle of wills always fails. Short of prying open a tightly closed mouth to stuff food down, children won't eat if they don't want to and parents can't make them.

• Don't turn the kitchen into a restaurant. Cook one meal for everyone. The child can choose to have supper or decide not to eat, but he or she must understand that special meals aren't going to be happening.

• Don't force kids to sit still. Little ones are constantly on the go, and even five minutes sitting at the table is too long for some. If you've managed to have your child sit and participate in a family meal for even a couple of minutes, you've accomplished something good. Let the child down and let him or her go.

• Do make sure the food you prepare is adapted to a child's tastes and palate. Children taste food very differently than adults and tend to prefer blander meals. Even a little salt can be too much. Avoid spicy or very flavorful food.

• Do make food fun. If kids get it in their head that the meal looks "yucky", then they'll assume it tastes yucky too. Cut what food you can into shapes or use cookie-cutters. Choose colorful food. Lay the food out on plates in an attractive and appealing presentation.

• Do involve children in food choices. Sometimes, asking children what meal they would like to eat can help ensure that the food will be eaten. Don't always give this option, though, or you may end up eating peanut butter and jam sandwiches for a week!

• Do encourage children to help prepare the food. Even toddlers can help stir, scoop or sort. With creation comes a sense of pride, and kids love to pitch in with cooking duties. They'll be more likely to eat a meal they helped prepare.

Be creative in the kitchen and be patient with children. While some kids do develop tastes and preferences, avoiding food they don't like over food they do just like many adults (liver, anyone?), most end up enjoying a wide variety of foods. Keep in mind the child's developmental stage and personality, and never take refusal of meals personally. They still love you; they just don't want to eat!

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