How often do we hear, ‘they’re a fussy eater’ so you send them to school with a packed lunch? When your child comes home with an empty lunch box, you breathe a sigh of relief. But many children give away their food, swap or dump it in our waste bins. So you don’t always have the whole picture.
Avoid rewarding with food
Now we’re not suggesting you bribe your child to eat their meal, but offering a great-tasting dessert if they eat their veg will not help either of you in the long run. And not pushing them to finish a whole meal can take the pressure off.
Encourage eating a little more of that dish next time. Try stickers, games or earning days out. Anything that doesn’t make them turn to sugary foods as a treat.
Be your child's hero
You can be the best role model for your child. They look up to you. So lead by example, and eat a wide variety of vegetables.
Make sure vegetables are the norm for the dinner table and try sharing with positive comments.
Keep trying
As children grow, so do their taste palettes. Don’t assume they don’t like a certain food because they’ve only tried it a couple of times.
Apparently, it takes 15-20 times to really know so offer small amounts with encouragement and they may decide it’s not so bad after all.
