quebec and picky eaters — what do these things have in common? not a lot except they were both part of my weekend. i flew to quebec city on thursday for a pair of speaking engagements over the weekend. my afternoons were spent at a quaint country restaurant that overlooked the st. lawrence river. i spoke on what i’m passionate about: great food healthy eating and ways to bring more of that into your family’s life. a common theme amongst the crowd was what to do with the picky eaters in their families. sometimes i feel like we are misusing the word “picky. ” it almost gives the impression that the eater is carefully selecting and discerning about their ingredients. i don’t consider an adult or a child who will only eat pizza hot dogs and chicken nuggets “picky. ” i consider them really deprived and terrible eaters. it’s time to stand up and place the challenge back on the parents with the question “what are you willing to do? ” if i were to tell you that it is time to break your kids out of the salty processed-food habit could you stick to it? will you be willing to have a few nights of introducing new healthy food that they may initially reject? it helps if you start them truly hungry — so no giant glass of juice or milk with dinner. it also helps if you throw in some education. explain the benefits of fresh vegetables and lean proteins for muscle development brain development healthy skin better eyes etc. it will be natural for children to reject new foods a few times — this is all part of developing their taste buds. just make sure they actually taste the new food. it’s not too late. you can undo the current epidemic of unhealthy eating amongst children teens and ourselves and you can start in your own home tonight. please hear me i am not anti-pizza nor an advocate for a deprived diet-food lifestyle. i am however on a soapbox for us to get back in the kitchen and start cooking more. if you feel like your kid is only eating pizza for 12 out of 21 meals in the week a good transition is to help them make an after-school “pizza” on a sprouted grain english muffin with organic tomato sauce and a non-processed cheese like a low-fat mozzarella and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. have them help to make it and if you don’t already have potted herbs or fresh herbs in your garden i encourage you to start now and have your children pick some for the family meals. watch as the “picky” eaters in your family start picking up foods that will make them thrive instead of deprive them of vital nutrients and health. i know it can feel overwhelming and like a losing battle at times but don’t give up. your insistence dedication and willingness to choose good foods for yourself and your family will pay off with less meltdowns health issues and a sense of accomplishment for investing in yourselves.
how can i stop my child from being a picky eater?