Have you heard about the picky eater test?
If you have a picky eater child at home and you don’t know about the picky eater test then you should definitely read this blog further…
For the past seven and a half years I have been living with a picky eater child.
What he eats…?
I can count on my finger
Just four or five things altogether.
The more I try to feed him the more I fail
Either it ends in puking, or crying (me or him or sometimes both)
I can understand what other mothers are going through when dealing with a picky eater child. So I thought why not share my thoughts and some valuable information with you as well….
What is a Picky Eater?
A picky eater child is one who refuses to eat certain foods. Probably his or her liking of food is very limited. They prefer eating the same food over and over again. For example, my son has been eating jam and toast for breakfast for the past five years. He never gets tired of it.
One important thing which I would like to share here is that being a picky eater is not a problem or a disorder. It is just part of kids growing up. Kids after the age of two usually develop this habit of being a picky eater.
The picky eater test therefore helps in the identification of the extent your child is on the scale of a picky eater.
Picky Eater Food List
How to make picky eaters eat and try different foods is a big challenge. To help you in this regard I have prepared a food list to follow. You can use this food list to let your picky eater child try different foods. I will try it on my kid as well..
Give them Iron Rich Foods:
Iron is a mandatory nutritional requirement for kids. Kids need iron to grow, become sharp and stay energetic. Iron is present mostly in green and leafy vegetables. Unfortunately, it is a very tough job to feed kids leafy vegetables these days.
Even I as a kid used to dislike leafy vegetables a lot
You can therefore try iron-rich cereals. My son for example likes to eat crunchy and dry snacks. So he likes munching on cereals without milk. This is an easy way to get some iron going into him.
Whole Grains:
Unless your child does not have any gluten allergy feeding them whole grains is a good idea. A lot of kids do not like roti (an Asian form of plain bread) but they do like pasta. My son doesn’t like pasta but he likes roti and bread.
Feed Them Fruits:
Ok, so I have three sons. The younger two love eating fruits. The eldest hates fruits in all forms.
BUT
HE LIKES LOLLIES
So that is how I feed him fruits. Just pick any fruit make its juice, out it in the lolly shapers and voila!
Simple Snacks:
Snacks are the best option to feed your picky eaters with some healthy nutritious food. Again my son ( I am sorry if you are bored of mentioning him again and again) loves munching and snacking on:
- Almonds
- Dates
- Popcorns
So I try my best that these three snacks are always present in my house. I am not sure about popcorn but almonds and dates are the healthiest snacks one could have. You can try any nuts your child likes.
What is the Picky Eater Disorder?
Not a DISORDER AT ALL
It’s just a condition that prevails in children. However, in some children, it might take longer. Being a picky eater is now called as
“Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)”
Although the word:” disorder” comes here again it is just a condition and NOT A DISORDER. It’s just children with this condition have:
Limited interest in a variety of foods
They are obsessed with trying only limited food options
And they have selective food choices.
Further in this blog, we shall have a detailed overview of the picky eater test.
Conducting the Picky Eater Test
A picky eater test is a very valuable source of information for mothers like me who are dealing with picky eaters.
What is the point of conducting a picky eater test?
You can assess the eating habits of your picky eaters
Secondly, you can assess the level of pickiness of your child regarding food choices.
You can access several resources that can help you conduct a picky eater test for FREE..
Here is a link to one such resource:
How to deal with a Picky Eater Toddler?
Now that you know a lot of information about picky eaters and their eating habits it’s time to come to a solution. If you have dealt successfully or dealing with a picky eater right now PLEASE DO SHARE IN COMMENTS OR IN OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY “LOVE YOU MOMMY”.
Here are my two cents of dealing with a Picky eater!
Bribe them:
This always works in the case of kids. Motivate them through bribes. If you will eat this I will take you to NANA’s house next week. Eat this and I will buy you ice- cream.
Offer Something new when they are Hungry:
This works for me. Especially in the case of boys after a swimming session or football session. They become hungry and they show willingness to try something new. Once I remember I took my son to an indoor play area. He became very tired and I had taken the promise from him that he would try roasted chicken afterwards. Although halfheartedly yes HE DID TRY!
Make them Part of the Food Game:
Yes, it does work!
Take them along with me to the grocery store. They sometimes pick something new and I ask them to promise me that they will try. Only if they promise can I buy them.
Ninety per cent of the time it works. Also, kids get a broader exposure to the eatables available in the market.
Ask them to prepare their meals with you. Let them set their own plates. Let them share with other kids.
Final Thoughts
Living with a picky eater child is not easy. For a mother who wants her kids to fulfil all the nutritional requirements of her children, it is very exhausting.
Both physically and emotionally
Yet motherhood is always about being creative and witty I guess
You have to make wise choices.
Being a mother is not easy but remember that your kids LOVE YOU MOMMY!