You’ve threatened. You’ve bargained. And still, the broccoli remains on the plate. What is a mother to do? Here are ten unusual methods to try to get your kids to eat:
- Let your kids "pay" for their meals with imaginary money. They'll be more willing to try new foods if they feel like they're getting a good deal.
- Use food puns to make eating more fun. For example, tell your kids they need to "be-leaf" in the power of broccoli to make them strong.
- Turn mealtime into a competition. See who can eat the most vegetables, or who can guess the most ingredients in a dish.
- Use silly voices when describing different foods. "This spaghetti is sooooo long and wiggly, just like a giant noodle sssssssssnake!" (then hiss like a snake)
- Make up funny names for healthy foods. "These are actually Carrot Power Sticks! Eat them and you will become big and strong!”
- Play a game of "food bingo" where you have to fill out a card with different healthy foods as you eat them.
- Create a "build-your-own" meal station, where kids can customize their meals with different toppings and sauces.
- Have a "fancy" dinner party, complete with fancy clothes and fancy foods like fancy cheese and fancy fruit.
- Use food to create fun shapes and designs on your kids' plates. Create a face with vegetables or spell out your child's name with fruit.
- Have a "taste test" challenge where you blindfold your kids and have them guess different foods based on their taste and texture. It's a fun way to introduce new flavors and textures!
Okay moms. If any of these sound like they might work with your picky eater, let us know. In fact, if you want to write about how it did or didn’t work, just share your experience with the editor at dawn@ndfb.org and we’ll feature it in an upcoming blog post.