6 Tips for picky eaters
Studies done in the US show us that up to 50% of children could be considered picky eaters during their early childhood. In other words, you as a parent are not alone in this, even though it might feel like it right now.
Tips for Picky Eaters
POOW The Food Hero is a groundbreaking tool from Sweden that helps parents who are struggling to get their children to eat. Over the last 5 years, we have been in contact with hundreds of families and healthcare professionals. Below you will find our tips for picky eaters.
1. Download POOW The Food Hero
As we have developed a well-functioning tool for parents who are struggling to get their children to eat. We must of course recommend you to download POOW The Food Hero. Through gamification, storytelling, and fun games, we motivate children to eat more food and try new flavors. At the same time, a peaceful mealtime situation is created. Download POOW on App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Kids also eat with their eyes
Why would your kid eat something that looks unappetizing when you wouldn’t eat it yourself? We recommend you to put some extra effort into putting the food on the plate in a nice way. It’s even better if you can get your child involved in this step by letting your child put the food on the plate. We strongly recommend you divide the foods/flavors on the plate if your child is a picky eater.
3. Be a role model for your picky eater
Your child looks up to you, literally. Show your child that you are interested in new foods and love to try new flavors will most likely motivate your child to do the same. Your behavior at home and around the kitchen table will affect your child more than you think. So try to be aware of your own behavior and how it might affect your child.
4. Involve your child in cooking and meal preparation
An easy and fun trick to break down barriers between your child and the food is to involve them in the cooking and meal preparation. If the child knows what’s on the plate when it’s time to eat. From our experience, it is more likely that the child will try the food and eat some more. Pss. if you use our recipes in our app. You can involve your child in choosing what to eat, when you’re cooking together, and when it’s time to eat. A great tips for picky eaters!
5. Discussions around the table.
An efficient method of dealing with picky eaters is to increase the child’s self-awareness. This can be done by discussing flavors, feelings, smells, and textures. Why is the child liking certain foods and why is the child disliking certain foods? This will be helpful both for you and your child.
6. No buffet
One recurring subject when we have talked with parents about their picky eaters is the “buffet problem”. This means that parents have to make several dishes to suit all needs and wants. We strongly recommend that you only make one meal and serve it to the whole family. If the child gets used to having food prepared especially for them every day while the rest of the family members eat something else. Arguably, there is a risk that the pickiness will get worse over time.
Updated 30-03-2023
By Philip Fransson
6 Tips for picky eaters
Studies done in the US show us that up to 50% of children could be considered picky eaters during their early childhood. In other words, you as a parent are not alone in this, even though it might feel like it right now.
Tips for Picky Eaters
POOW The Food Hero is a groundbreaking tool from Sweden that helps parents who are struggling to get their children to eat. Over the last 5 years, we have been in contact with hundreds of families and healthcare professionals. Below you will find our tips for picky eaters.
1. Download POOW The Food Hero
As we have developed a well-functioning tool for parents who are struggling to get their children to eat. We must of course recommend you to download POOW The Food Hero. Through gamification, storytelling, and fun games, we motivate children to eat more food and try new flavors. At the same time, a peaceful mealtime situation is created. Download POOW on App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Kids also eat with their eyes
Why would your kid eat something that looks unappetizing when you wouldn’t eat it yourself? We recommend you to put some extra effort into putting the food on the plate in a nice way. It’s even better if you can get your child involved in this step by letting your child put the food on the plate. We strongly recommend you divide the foods/flavors on the plate if your child is a picky eater.
3. Be a role model for your picky eater
Your child looks up to you, literally. Show your child that you are interested in new foods and love to try new flavors will most likely motivate your child to do the same. Your behavior at home and around the kitchen table will affect your child more than you think. So try to be aware of your own behavior and how it might affect your child.
4. Involve your child in cooking and meal preparation
An easy and fun trick to break down barriers between your child and the food is to involve them in the cooking and meal preparation. If the child knows what’s on the plate when it’s time to eat. From our experience, it is more likely that the child will try the food and eat some more. Pss. if you use our recipes in our app. You can involve your child in choosing what to eat, when you’re cooking together, and when it’s time to eat. A great tips for picky eaters!
5. Discussions around the table.
An efficient method of dealing with picky eaters is to increase the child’s self-awareness. This can be done by discussing flavors, feelings, smells, and textures. Why is the child liking certain foods and why is the child disliking certain foods? This will be helpful both for you and your child.
6. No buffet
One recurring subject when we have talked with parents about their picky eaters is the “buffet problem”. This means that parents have to make several dishes to suit all needs and wants. We strongly recommend that you only make one meal and serve it to the whole family. If the child gets used to having food prepared especially for them every day while the rest of the family members eat something else. Arguably, there is a risk that the pickiness will get worse over time.
Updated 30-03-2023
By Philip Fransson