Create a Menu for the Picky Eater
I firmly believe there aren’t too many tricks to get picky eaters to, you know, eat. Parents of picky eaters need to work a little harder to ensure their kids can eat healthy and balanced meals without an epic battle every morning, noon, and night. Of course, food choices may be all a child needs to start slicing and eating a melon. But the next child is better to be persuaded with the help of ” tasting plates “. Or maybe you are luckier if you think of your family’s food in Venn diagrams .
Chances are, if your child is picky, you’ve tried several different tactics with varying success. Today I am here to offer you another option: create a breakfast, lunch and dinner “menu” for your young children.
The idea comes from Chrissy Teigen, who says in a YouTube video , “Trust me, I know this is funny. Like, I understand perfectly well that this is madness. ” But I think this is no crazier than putting food on a stick, creating a maze of food, or flipping a coin . And hey, it worked for Teigen’s daughter, Luna. Does this mean it will work for your child? Who knows! They are picky! But I think it’s worth trying:
Teigen used a 3-ring binder and a laminator (but you can also use sheet protectors instead). She photographed a variety of healthy and balanced meals that Luna knew she loved, such as breakfast cereals, baked fish sticks with broccoli or spaghetti and meatballs. While eating, Teigen flips the folder over and lets Luna choose what she wants.
Could this backfire? Yes, of course it can. If you leave a picture of a Cheerios with blueberries the day after you run out of blueberries, you are asking for trouble. Scroll quickly before handing over the menu to make sure you’ve selected all the options that have ingredients you don’t have (or time / energy to make).
Teigen also went on to laminate a wad of one dollar bills so Luna could “pay” for her food. (Looks like she was having fun using her new laminator.) Go ahead and do it if you also see it as an opportunity to practice counting and using money, but it is not necessary. You just have to get them to eat something healthy.