Four Top Tips For Fussy Eaters

As you start weaning your child you open up their palette to the wonderful world of taste and flavour. But, while most parents dream of having children that give every food a go without a fuss, it’s completely normal to experience hiccups along the way. The best thing you can do is persevere and do all that you can to encourage positive relationships with food. 

Here are four top tips for dealing with fussy eaters.

Be creative with your meals

If your child is uninterested in trying new foods or kicks up a fuss at dinner time, try being more creative with your meals. The presentation can make a big difference in how appealing a meal looks so instead of throwing everything together on a plate, use food cutters in fun shapes, make faces out of the foods and make the plate colourful.

Don’t use foods as rewards

You should never bribe your child into eating as it then becomes a task rather than an enjoyable part of their daily routine. For example, providing sweet treats to your little one after making them eat vegetable can create the idea of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods which can escalate their fussiness even more. Instead, verbally praise them for trying new foods and lead by example when eating your own meals.

Get them involved with cooking

Children love to be hands-on with everything so why not let them help out in the kitchen? You may find that allowing your toddler to help prepare their meals will give them a sense of achievement and therefore encourage them to eagerly want to taste what they’ve made. Whether it’s stirring the pot or getting out the ingredients, giving them a role can have a positive effect on their eating habits.

Be persistent

Fussy eating is completely normal and although it can be frustrating for you as a parent, you must persevere. Continue to try new foods and different angles of making meals interesting as something you never thought would work could be exactly what makes your child more open. It’s not a race and every child is different. 

At Sandfield Day Nursery, our Nottingham based facility offer safe and educational childcare for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years of age. Our stimulating environment and committed staff members take into account all the needs of your children so you can rest assured that your little one received exceptional care every day. For more information get in touch with our friendly team today.