I’m a nutritionist for kids: 10 ways to get them to eat that you haven’t tried

Six in ten parents customize family meals for fussy kids, new research has found.

But only one in eight parents will demand that children eat everything on their plate, and less than a third forbid their child from having dessert if they haven’t finished dinner, according to a US university survey.

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So what do you do when your little angel is a devil at the dinner table?

Pediatric dietitian and nutritionist Lucy Upton, (thechildrensdietitian.co.uk) has some words of encouragement.

There’s a misconception that children learn everything they need to learn about food in their first year of life, she says.

This is not true. It’s a longer process, so don’t feel bad if it takes a while to get there.

Here, she gives Sarah Morton tips for taming your little problems.

USE A NO THANK YOU PLATE

IF a child doesn’t want certain foods offered, use a no-thanks plate where they can discard all the bits they don’t like.

Lucy says this is a great way to get children to interact with food, while also allowing them to make choices.

She adds: It gives them the autonomy to say, you know what? I don’t want that, I put it on another plate. Children love to have control and choice. It makes mealtime a more positive experience.

DINNER AT BREAKFAST

SOCIETY insists that we eat breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening, but Lucy thinks it shouldn’t matter when we eat our food.

We get stuck in this social narrative, he says.

But really, if your child wants chicken for breakfast, don’t tell them not to let them have it! If they want cereal for dinner, that’s fine too! The nutritional value or taste does not change.

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DON’T BAN BEIGE

IF your kids are fixated on chicken nuggets or fish fingers instead of broccoli and carrots, it shouldn’t be a problem.

These easy foods still contain a decent amount of B vitamins, fiber and protein.

Sometimes you have to accept, when children are young, they are more likely to go for beige foods, explains Lucy.

But that’s okay. It’s okay to want them to have a roast dinner, but it doesn’t make you a bad parent for going for the easy option.

BOLOGNESE DIP COOKIES

While our more mature palates may balk at the idea of ​​mixing rich teas with ragout, Lucy believes that serving dessert with a main course is a great way to teach children that all foods are equal.

If that means putting a cookie on the plate for them to interact with the salty stuff, so be it.

Food is just food, says Lucy.

Dipping their cookies in Bolognese sounds weird to us, but kids won’t mind as long as they experiment, and that’s key to a future healthy relationship with food.

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LEAVE THE REWARD CHARTS

LOOK AWAY now, Supernanny! Lucy thinks your famous reward charts are redundant when it comes to picky eaters.

Not only does the novelty wear off quickly, but by teaching little ones to eat for rewards, not pleasure, you’re creating a rod for your back.

We want children to eat food because they are ready, says Lucy, not because there is an external reward. I guarantee they’ll be sick of the silver stickers after two weeks and then you’ll be left scratching your head.

INCLUDE SAFE FOOD

WITH picky kids, you need to make sure there’s a safe food on the table, something they like, when you’re serving a new dish.

If the child comes to the table and does not see any food that is familiar to them, it can cause anxiety, explains Lucy.

But if there’s one thing they know, it encourages them to participate.

Lucy used curry and rice, served with Wotsits as a safe food, as an example.

If it means the kid dips a Wotsit into the curry just to experience the taste, it’s worth it.

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DO NOT DISCARD McDONALDS

Denying kids a particular food only makes them want it more, especially those who can’t resist the taste of junk food.

Instead, Lucy says it pays to be relaxed.

The reality is that sometimes kids will have a McDonalds or a Pizza Hut and that’s fine, as long as we do our best to include it as part of a balanced diet, she explains.

I suggest mixing vegetables. Have a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger, but serve it with peas.

SERVES BUFFET STYLE MEALS

LUCY believes that many parents overestimate how much a child needs to eat.

As a result, mom and dad give their loved ones too much, which in turn takes the child away from meals.

Your solution to portion control? Give the children a plate and let them serve themselves.

Let the kids choose how much and what they have, she says.

I recommend serving dinner buffet style. Put all the different items in different bowls on the table and let the child decide for himself. Children love having this independence.

YOUR LANGUAGE COUNTS

IF there’s one thing our experts aren’t into, it’s telling your kids that everything is delicious and delicious as a way to get them to eat.

Stop it, says Lucy.

These words are not facts, they are opinion. And children’s opinions can be pushy.

Lucy recommends using creative but precise language.

Children learn through imagination and play, she says.

So instead of giving an opinion about an orange segment, call it something funny, like a moon or Peppa Pigs nose.

DO THE CHAIR

LUCY insists that children should not yet be sitting in high chairs after they turn one.

Get them up on the table in a proper, stable chair, he says.

High chairs are not supportive, children’s legs tend to move without any connection to the ground, and they do not provide a comfortable dining experience.