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How to cope with kids who are picky eaters

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Many mothers are struggling with the problem of feeding kids that are picky eaters. For example, while some children simply will not eat certain vegetables or types of meat, others will only eat a select few food items, which can be an extremely frustrating problem to deal with.

When a mother tries to introduce new food to the child, it may be met with resistance. The mother then tries to coax the child to try it, the child refuses, and a power struggle begins. The mother ends up angry, the child feels frustrated, and the whole thing can repeatedly happen each day. There must be a better way to deal with picky eaters than to constantly coax and prod them to eat a wider variety of healthy foods.

Start with One Thing

Sit down and list out all the foods your child is willing to eat without a fuss. Don't simply write down the meal but break it into specific food items. If your child likes to eat hamburgers, for example, write down hamburger meat, buns, and all of the other condiments or sliced vegetables that he will accept on the burger. Once you have made this list, you have a food range of items to start with. It's always good to have a starting point when dealing with a problem.

The next thing you need to do is isolate one thing on the list and see how it can be introduced in a new way. For example, start by cooking up a hamburger patty. Then, take your child over to the stove (not too close, of course) to see you fry it up. Once it has finished cooking, show your child that you are chopping it up into smaller pieces.

Take the cooked hamburger pieces and put them onto a plate along with some ketchup if your child will accept them. If everything goes well, your child will eat up the meat prepared this way, and you will have accomplished something.

What You Have Accomplished

You have shown your child that he can eat hamburger meat in a different setting than simply as a patty placed in between 2 buns. You have provided him with another option and given him some control over his food choices. You haven't overwhelmed him with a completely new food but have rather introduced a new form of food that he already likes.

When you gradually start introducing new hamburger meal ideas, you may just find that you have broken the ice on the situation. You can branch out even more by adding spices to the meat or cooking it in tomato sauce. After all, ketchup is tomato sauce, and when you explain this to your child, he may be willing to give it a go.

Gradually start incorporating new things into your child's diet by starting with one thing that you know he likes. Although this method may not work for everyone, you may find that it works for you and ends the power struggle once and for all.

At some point, you may even find that your child is accepting a variety of different foods and that you can start getting meals delivered. When you reach this turning point, you can look for home chef reviews to determine which meal delivery services would be best for you.




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