Picky Eaters

We received a really lovely press drop a short while ago from Pediasure Complete and I was so over the moon when it arrived.

You see not only do I have a picky toddler and 6 year old but I also have a 9 year old on medication that decreases his appetite which can be very distressing for a parent, we have been down this road before it was one of the many reasons we switched from Ritalin to Concerta but unfortunately we have had to add in a half a tab of it to Loghans current medication schedule and as soon as we did that he went from eating literally everything in our fridge to bringing home a full lunch box.

Having used Pediasure previously I know how great it can be, we received the vanilla shake which tastes so great on its own, all my kids love it but you can also do so much with it, add some chopped fruit or almond milk even some yogurt, this is something that has really helped in our household.

Some other tips I have used in our home are:

Encourage small frequent meals throughout the day.

Never force your child to eat you do not want to encourage a bad relationship with food

Muffins and smoothies are awesome, I usually make a batch of muffins every week and throw in raisins and cinnamon or chocolate chips or cut up fruit, you can even make them savory with cheese and ham, smoothies are also great because you can throw in kale or carrots with your fruit and your child will not even know they are consuming veggies, you can also add these things to a shake like Pediasure.

If your child is hungry but insists on something sweet encourage them to eat dry fruit, normal fruit or yogurt instead that way they are eating healthily whilst still satisfying their need for a sweet taste.

Make meals that will keep them fuller for longer and sneakily add veg in everywhere whether you puree pumpkin or butternut into a pasta sauce or throw mixed veg or even just peas in with mince.

Pack a variety into their lunchboxes or try change it up every few days no one likes to eat the same thing EVERY day and offering a variety means they are most likely to eat a good amount instead of just wasting it all, with my kids I also encourage them to share what they do not want to eat, this may not be the cheapest way to pack lunch but I know at the end of the day my kids are happy and have eaten and that someone else could possibly have gotten a lunch who didn’t have as well.

Colour and texture, my middle son has a sensory issue with texture and food just like I do sometimes there could be more to the issue of your child eating than them simply just being difficult if you are concerned see a doctor but otherwise adding colour and texture variety to food can be a great way to encourage your child to eat and also offers a learning opportunity as well, for instance if I put peppers into the food or veggies I will ask Jess what colour is this, is it sweet sour etc.

Encourage your child to help in the kitchen by fetching ingredients tossing ingredients into bowls and if they are older chopping and preparing.

Having picky eaters can be incredibly frustrating and can leave you with a heavy heart but these tips have really helped things in our household.

Do you have a picky eater what do you do that helps?