Do your picky eaters have family dinner time feeling more like a chore than a treat?
Sometimes it seems like you’ll never get your kids to eat healthy foods.
They wear you down until you put away the chicken breast and mixed veggies and whip up hot dogs and mac n’ cheese.
Meals and snacks don’t have to go like this.
By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to take back control of your kitchen.
Some compromises and mindset shifts can make all the difference and bring peace to family meals once again.
Table of Contents
Be a Role Model
Your kids watch everything you do, so the best place to start when trying to get them to eat healthy is to look at your own habits.
Are you balancing your meals, prioritizing nutrition and drinking plenty of water?
Change your eating patterns first, and you may find that’s all it takes.
Let Kids Graze
You might be surprised at how small your little one’s stomachs actually are.
Fitting the necessary nutrition into three meals a day isn’t typically feasible.
Instead, prepare snacks for your kids throughout the day as they get hungry again.
Just try and shoot for mainly well-balanced snacks like apples and nut butter or whole grain crackers and cheese.
Provide Choices
Giving your kids choices in what they eat provides them with the little bit of control they crave.
Even in both options are healthy parent-approved foods, having a choice still improves the likelihood they’ll eat some without a major fuss.
For example, make two veggie options with supper, and they get to pick which one they’d like.
Allow Some “Junk”
One of the most challenging obstacles to healthy eating is creating a negative relationship with food where you’ve elevated certain “junk” foods because they’re forbidden.
Cutting out whole food groups or even just less nutritious favorites makes them even more desirable.
Instead, shoot for food neutrality.
Go ahead and give your kids chips with their sandwiches or sprinkle chocolate chips on their yogurt.
They’re more likely to have long-term success with nutrition when you adopt an all-foods-fit approach.
Teach them moderation is the key.
Dress Up Healthy Foods
Make healthy foods more palatable for your kids by combining them with stuff you know your children like.
Are they macaroni fiends?
Add some broccoli in before serving.
Do they like oatmeal and brown sugar?
Top the dish with blueberries and walnuts.
Familiar meals help new foods feel less overwhelming.
Have Them Help in the Kitchen
Most kids feel better when they know how something works or where it came from — that’s part of the reason for their natural curiosity.
They might be more willing to eat healthier foods if they had a hand behind the scenes.
Take them to the store or farmers market to pick out fresh produce and give your kids age-appropriate tasks in the kitchen, or even just let them watch for a bit.
Add Dip or Sauce
Do your kids fixate on a particular condiment?
Ketchup, ranch and BBQ are popular options.
While they may not be the healthiest choice, offering them with healthy foods for dipping might make the difference between a meltdown and chowing down.
Lean meats and fish can be on the dry side for kids, and they’re likely to reject them.
However, if you give them their favorite dip or sauce, they can moisten the meat and coat its taste a bit if they don’t love it.
Make One Meal
Starting now, make it very clear you’re only making one meal for the whole family.
You deserve better than to behave like a short-order cook for your kids.
The key to success with this technique is to include at least one food you know they like and will eat.
Then, if they absolutely refuse to eat anything else, they have something to eat without you having to cave and make something separate for them.
You can’t cave if this method is going to work for you.
Eventually, your kids may get brave and try other foods you prepare, especially if they see others eating and enjoying them.
Control the Foods You Bring Home
The good news about getting your kids to eat healthier is you get to control what foods come into your home.
You decide the balance between whole foods and more processed options.
When your kids are young and can’t go out on their own, they’re limited to what’s available to them at home.
However, to build healthy relationships with food, try not to restrict whole food groups.
Let Them Listen to Their Body
Kids are very good at telling when they’re hungry or full.
Listen to them when they say they don’t want to eat more from their plate.
Forcing them to finish reinforces the idea that they’re wrong about their own body, which can become very problematic later in life.
Instead, give them one opportunity once they say they’re full — simply remind them the kitchen will be closed until the next meal or snack time.
Establish Healthy Eating Habits Now
Your child’s eating habits will stick with them as they grow older and leave home.
Establishing good nutrition patterns now will set them up for a healthier future.
Just remember, sometimes it’s important to leave the science behind and trust your own intuition and your kids’ guts.
Learning how to balance a meal’s nutrients is a good skill, but being able to trust themselves around any foods is equally important when they’re on their own.
