Follow By Email: 😩 e e, are you looking after a fussy eater this Summer?

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

😩 e e, are you looking after a fussy eater this Summer?


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Hey e e,

If you're stressing about looking after some fussy eaters this summer, I've put together some tips that might make mealtimes less stressful. 🧊 🥒

I don't want to brag, but I literally wrote the book on getting kids to eat new foods. 🍎

The below tips are more for short-term situations like looking after a friend from school for the day. But my book offers lots of easy long-term solutions to encourage your family to be more adventurous at mealtimes.

I hope this helps! And be sure to let me know if you have any tips for making mealtimes more chill! 🥳

DIPS SOLVE EVERYTHING:

A study from the US found that kids who are served food with some sort of dip tend to try more foods and eat more on their plates.

GIVE THEM CONTROL:

Another study found that offering children unfamiliar food without pressure encourages them to try it on their own terms. Pop things into serving bowls and let them pick their own.

OPTIONS ARE GOOD:

"Do you want x or y?" - choosing between options is harder to say no to and gives a bit of control. Making a base dish that has different serving styles like chilli is ideal for this. It can be chilli and rice, taco or burrito!

REBRAND:

Just like adults are more likely to order a meal with a good menu description, a 2011 study found that kids are more likely to try food with fun names. So rebrand your pasta as "monster teeth" or your Brussels sprouts as "dinosaur eggs", and you may have more success.

KNOW WHEN TO RETREAT:

If you're getting nowhere, sometimes you just have to give up. Kids are less likely to eat under duress or stress. So make some snacks available and if they want to eat, they'll eat! One missed meal is not the end of the world.