Yummy secrets for your picky eater

Goodie tray: Offer her a compartmentalized dish, and put bite- size portions of colorful and nutritious foods in each section such as apples, hard boiled, egg, banana and the like.

Relax the rules: The distinctions between breakfast, lunch, and dinner have little meaning to a child. If your child insists on eating pizza in the morning or fruit and cereal in the evening, go with it. It is better than not eating at all.

Involve her: Children are more likely to eat their own creations. Therefore, let her help prepare the food.

Spreading: Toddlers like spreading, or rather, smearing. Show her how to use a table knife to spread peanut butter or jam on bread, pancakes and others.

Topping: Toddlers also like toppings. Topping nutritious, familiar but less desirable foods is a way to broaden her menu. Use toppings such as yoghurt, cheese, tomato sauce or peanut butter.

Smoothies: If your child would rather drink than eat, make a smoothie. Milk and fruit along with supplements such as yoghurt, honey, and peanut butter are very healthy. However, avoid any drinks with raw eggs to avoid the risk of salmonella poisoning.

Be creative: Your creativity easily determines how much your child eats. Cut mandazi and chapatti dough into various fun shapes. This will make eating them more fun.

Sharing: Invite her friend, who is her age-mate and feeds well, over. Group feeding lets the good feeders set the example.

Small portions: Keep the child’s food servings small. Offer small portions at first and refill the plate if she asks for more.

Count the calories: Offer your child foods that are packed with lots of nutrition in small doses. This is particularly important for active toddlers.

Vegetable garden: Plant the vegetables and let her help care for the plants, harvest and prepare them. She will probably be much more interested in eating them after that.

END: BL 34 /9