If I had a nickel for every book, blog, and pin I have scoured
to find the trick to get my kids to
eat what I cook … well, I’d be a pretty happy momma.
There are tons of ideas and suggestions and methods out
there, and I have researched them all.
My kids are the quintessential picky eaters, and meal time
can be the toughest part of our day.
I have thought about every aspect food, micro-planned meals
and snacks, and obsessed right there with the rest of you.
I am not here to tell you that I have the trick, but I do want to share one little thing that I have
learned along the way.
It recently occurred to me that half the food battle is just
helping kids to overcome their uncertainty about what is on their plate. For
kids, it’s not just about what it might taste like, but what it looks like,
what it feels like, and probably so much more.
I have realized that some of the very many circus tricks I have
performed over the years to get my kids to eat have one specific thing in
common …. When something was new, I added in a bit of familiarity.
When we introduced lasagna for the first time, we simply
called it pizza-sagna.
With chicken and rice (and sometimes even spaghetti), I add
some melted American cheese to make it resemble their beloved macaroni and
cheese.
When we tried oatmeal, I added sprinkles.
Okay, we still add
sprinkles to oatmeal almost every single time.
What seems to work best is to help them find something
familiar in new foods. It puts them at ease and gives them a little bit of
courage.
This is not to say that we don’t endure epic meltdowns prior
to their even trying the food. Nope, we’d never be lucky enough to escape that
special experience. But it has helped get them through the first couple of
bites, which usually leads to the following conversation …
Kids - Oh, mommy! You were right! I love this!
Me – Wonderful, honey. Now do you see what I meant? You can
trust your mom. I know what I’m talking about.
Kids – I don’t know about that mommy.
Great tips! Sprinkles make everything better :)
ReplyDeleteSprinkles in oatmeal!! Yes please! I have got to try this! :) What a fun idea of renaming things! We normally go through a ritual of naming everything on the plate and then singing Daniel Tiger's "You gotta try new foods cause it might taste good!" song. So far, it's been a good combination for us! Ha ha!
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