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Ways to get your picky child to eat new foods

New foods pose a conundrum for children that are picky eaters. Some children will talk themselves out of liking a food even prior to tasting. This leaves parents in a bit of a quandary, knowing that they need to broaden the dietary horizons of their children to ensure a healthy lifestyle.

It is best to not try and mix a new food into an existing favourite, as this may lead your picky eating child to have an aversion to yet another food, one that they had previously liked. Picky eaters run the risk of depriving themselves of valuable nutrients and exposing themselves to diet related diseases.

Persistence is perhaps the best method for getting your picky child to eat new foods. Introduce new foods little by little, and make no mention either way of hoping that your child tries the food. Often, a child will feed off of the anxiety of a parent, and will react to their actions and words. A laissez faire attitude may go a long way to getting your picky child to try and eat new foods.

Picky eaters tend to be the bane of parents, causing untold grief and stress. A child does not need to be a picky eater, since it is in the grasp of parental control. When attempting to introduce new foods, your child should not be presented the option of saying no thank you to the food. This is the most common mistake made by parents.

A child should eat whatever is put on their plate, with the only exception being the portions. A child does not have to be willing to try new foods, but they should be encouraged to without option. I recall having food placed on my dish that I did not want to eat, but my father would simply mention that he could always drop another dollop or two on my plate if I didn't finish what I was originally given. This technique was successful, because I did not want extra dosages of food that I considered to be tough on the palate.

When introducing new foods to a picky eater, it is best to allow them to accompany some of their favourite foods. If your child's plate has a healthy serving of their favourites, they will be less likely to stir up a fuss during the meal. Depending on what the food is that you are trying to introduce, blend it into something else. If it something like red or green peppers, for example, put a few of them on top of your picky child's pizza, along with extra cheese and pepperoni. They will want to eat the pizza, and will be forced then to try the peppers.

Once your picky eater has tried a new food, and it has gone past with mild success,


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Ways to get your picky child to eat new foods

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