How to Help Your Picky Eater

If meal times are the most stressful times in your home not because you hate cooking, but because you have a picky eater in your family, then you are probably tearing your hair out wondering what you can do to help your child enjoy a healthy diet. Well, here are a few things that will probably help:

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1. Make It Fun (Even If You’re Dying Inside)

Look, we’re not asking you to craft vegetables into cute animal shapes every night at home, but let’s face it—kids love a good gimmick. If turning their sandwich into a dinosaur will make them eat it, consider it your creative masterpiece of the day. And hey, if it works, you’re basically Picasso. Pro tip: Get your picky eater involved in cooking. Kids are more likely to eat something they “made,” even if their contribution was just stirring a spoonful of sauce while making airplane noises.

2. Pediatric Therapy (For When Even the Dinosaur Sandwich Fails)

Sometimes picky eating goes beyond just being finicky. If your child’s selective eating is causing stress (or you’re starting to wonder if they plan on surviving solely on chicken nuggets), it might be time to consider MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy. Therapists can work with your child to address sensory sensitivities or anxiety around food in ways that won’t make you feel like you’re pulling your hair out at every meal. So, no, you’re not losing your mind—picky eating can be a real challenge, and there’s help for that.

3. Hide the Veggies (Yes, We’re Going There)

If you can’t win the battle with visible vegetables, maybe it’s time to take the stealth approach. Sneak some spinach into a smoothie or blend carrots into spaghetti sauce. It’s the oldest trick in the book, and while it feels a little sneaky, the payoff is worth it when you can sit back and smugly watch them devour those hidden nutrients. Just don’t get caught, or you’ll have to up your game—again.

4. Give Them Choices (Within Reason)

Kids love feeling like they’re in control—so give them a (small) sense of power. Present two options, both of which you’re okay with. “Do you want carrots or peas?” works much better than “Please, for the love of all that’s good, eat something!” It’s all about the illusion of choice. You get the peace of mind that they’re eating a vegetable, and they get to feel like a mini-mastermind.

5. Patience, Patience, Patience

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your kid isn’t going to suddenly love kale overnight. The key here is to avoid turning mealtime into a battleground. Relax, keep trying new foods, and understand that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. One day, they might surprise you by actually asking for broccoli—though probably not, so don’t get your hopes up.

Helping your picky eater can feel like a monumental task, but with a mix of patience, creativity, and maybe a little help from pediatric therapy, you can make mealtimes less stressful. And hey, if all else fails, there’s always pizza.

This is a contributed post.

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