Here are a few things I do to make mealtime as conflict-free as possible:
- I try to introduce one new food at a time, or to balance something I know they don’t like a whole lot with something they enjoy. Don’t overwhelm your child with new foods all at once. Try to stick to something familiar and something new.
- I give child-sized portions, and I don’t always require a clean plate. Our rule is no dessert without a clean plate. Key: Decide how much you want your child to eat; are you a “clean your plate” mama? If so, be sure not to overload the plate. Kids don’t need the same amount as adults; if they’re still hungry, they will ask for more.
- I don’t let them have more of one thing unless they’ve eaten everything on their plates. My kids will consume mac ‘n’ cheese and smoosh the green beans over to the side. I’m great with giving them more mac ‘n’ cheese, after they’ve eaten the green beans, too. Key: Don’t let your child’s whims control you. You are in charge of presenting a balanced meal. They don’t get the whole “food groups” concept yet. Let them earn the privilege of having more of what they want, by eating all of what they get.
- I give options, when I can. For example, today at lunch Robbie wasn’t loving his Mexican rice with cheese. He had eaten over half of it, enough (I knew) to fill his tummy, so I gave him the option: either finish the rest and get a cookie, or be excused now and no cookie. He chose to be excused now. Fine by me. Less sugar! Key: Give choices when you can, but don’t renege! You undermine yourself if you cave and give out the cookie later… Set the boundaries and give a few choices, then stick to it.
- I try to create familiarity with the food I want them to eat. Familiarity is your friend when it comes to kids and what they want to eat. The more often they see something and touch, smell, and taste it, the more likely they are to learn to enjoy it. So I dish out fruits and vegetables, curries and Thai dishes, spicier (not too spicy) foods and pickled foods, in appropriate portions. The more they try new and different foods, the more they will learn to love them. Mara now has a real affection for a little Frank’s Hot Sauce on the side whenever Daddy offers to share… Offer the same food over and over again, in tiny portions, to get kids familiar with it.
- I let them help in the prep work when possible. And it’s not always possible, certainly; but food preparation does amazing things for kids who used to be picky. Mara and Robbie were not fond of boiled eggs until I let them help: Robbie “tap-tap-taps” the egg, then passes it to Mara, who peels it quite nicely. Kids like to eat food they’ve helped to prepare.
- I don’t keep food in the house that I don’t want them to eat (for the most part). Sure, we have treats like cookies and ice cream sometimes. We’re certainly not perfect in what we eat. But I do avoid processed foods, boxed foods, prepackaged stuff. I try to go for the real deal, because I know if that’s what they grow up eating, that’s what they will think of as real food (and that’s what it is!). Feed your kids what you want them to love.
- I keep it really low-pressure at restaurants and in the homes of friends/family. That’s not the time for food conflicts or battle of the wills over what’s on the plate. I order them what I know they like; eating out is a treat for everyone. And I don’t make an issue over whether they clean their plates or eat their vegetables. We deal with that stuff at home, where there’s not a crowd of folks who have to listen to us! Deal with food battles at home; avoid the conflict when you’re out.
- What are your toddler eating tips? How do you deal with refusal to eat? What’s your policy on clean plates? How do you handle taking your children out to eat? I’d love to get more tips and advice from Moms out there.
Our Menu for the week -
- Monday: Fajitas
- Tuesday: Chicken Salad Wraps
- Wednesday: Smoothies for supper
- Thursday: something in the slowcooker…
- Friday: Homemade Pizza
- Saturday: Grilled steak kabobs, spinach salad… and something else
- Sunday: (church potluck) Chicken & dumplings, deviled eggs
Linked up with OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday.
-
Image courtesy of efleming on Flickr.