Convert Picky Eaters Over Time With “three Rupees”
Cooking food for picky eaters can be frustrating, but recent research suggests three simple things that can help picky eaters over time.
Research led by scientists Claire E. Holly, Emma Haycraft and Claire Farrow and published in Appetite suggests that you can transform picky eaters if you have the time and persistence. It all comes down to “Three Rs”:
- R epetition
- R ole modeling
- R ewards
Basically, you need to offer certain foods that they don’t want to eat at different meals (so that it becomes commonplace and not some strange exotic item), show that you like the food, and praise them for being that they tried it. If your goal is to get someone to eat healthier foods, you don’t want to reward them with sweets or unhealthy foods , but a little encouragement in the form of kind words can still go a long way. Over time, the Three Rs will break down their mental barriers. They may not decide they like the food, but they will go so far as to eat it without complaining.
“Why don’t you try again?” Comparison of Parent-Guided Home Interventions to Increase Children’s Intake of Unloved Vegetables | Appetite via The Kitchn magazine