Tips for parents of fussy eaters

In an ideal world, dinner times are a chance to catch up as a family and enjoy a tasty and nutritious meal together. However, in many households with young children, the reality can be far different. Although it’s common for children to go through spells of fussy-eating tendencies, it can sometimes make dinner times feel like a tireless battle. In this guide, we reveal some top tips for how you can encourage your children to enjoy their food, resulting in stress-free family mealtimes.

Keep offering different food

If your child persistently refuses to eat certain food, try offering similar alternatives, for instance, swapping broccoli for green cabbage. Another method is to change the way you prepare the food, they might dislike raw carrots but love them roasted!

We spoke to Corina from Searching for Spice, a cooking blog, to find out her advice: “I am still struggling to get my children to eat a lot of different foods and I think different children react differently. My daughter (aged 7) just doesn't like a lot of foods but is willing to try them, whilst with my son (aged 5) there’s more of a power struggle. He completely refuses to try foods that we know he would like if he would just taste them. I recommend that you keep offering different foods to try as one day they might like them and try to reduce the pressure at mealtimes.”

Cecile from the parenting blog The Frenchie Mummy also shares her tips: “I think what creates good healthy eating habits is to help your little ones to discover the food and ingredients for themselves. Smoothies are a good idea to get them to eat more green. Plus, if you do it in the blender with them, it is even more fun!”

Young children are also more likely to eat their plate of food if it is full of bright colours and presented in a fun way. Get creative and make their food into the shape of animals or faces to encourage them to enjoy mealtimes. Another way to create more fun is to prepare platters and build-it-yourself boards on the dinner table, allowing the kids to build their own dishes – this works great for salads and fajitas! Finding the extra time to make food look fun and exciting can seem impossible, which is when hiring household staff can help free up some extra time in your day.

Let your child choose what to eat

If your child feels as though they’ve decided on the meal, they’re far more likely to eat it. So, bring them along for your food shopping trip and let them pick out their own food – just steer clear of any junk food aisles!

We asked Sonia from the family lifestyle blog Mummy Constant for her advice: “I found when I asked my children what they wanted to eat, they would never choose the healthy options. The kids will always want something child-friendly and fun: pizza, chips or nuggets. I started to give them options to choose from, so I had a little control over the foods they had, but they got a little element of choice and decision making. If they think they have chosen the meal, then quite often they would eat it without fuss. So, I might say lasagne and chips or spaghetti bolognese. Making them feel empowered to choose, which also makes for a good life skill!”

Distract them whilst at the dinner table

Giving your little ones too much attention at the dinner table can do more harm than good. Avoid watching and constantly reminding them to eat their veggies, as they’ll be more likely to do just the opposite. Corina from Searching for Spice continues: “Talking a lot about the food can make some children like my son even more resistant to trying it. Instead, I try to talk about other topics so that he doesn't feel like I'm pressurizing him too much.”

Sonia from Mummy Constant adds: “When the kiddies were younger, below three, I found mealtimes quite stressful. So much pressure to ensure that we had a ‘proper’ mealtime where we all sit together, and it was never going to happen. They wanted to eat but took too long to eat and then got bored. So, I gave in and started putting on a cartoon, like Tom & Jerry, whilst they ate their foods. Most often I wouldn’t eat with them so it also meant that whilst they were calm and eating, I could quickly clean up the kitchen. Win-Win!”

Involve your children in the cooking

Children are far more likely to tuck into their meal if they’ve participated in cooking it, as they’ll feel a sense of ownership. This is recommended by food blogger Lucy from Pudding Lane, who tells us: “Children know their own minds and handling fussy eating can feel like a losing battle. In my experience, children are much more likely to try something if they were there when it was made, so my advice is to try getting them involved in the whole process.

“Flick through a couple of cookbooks and ask them to choose something they’d like to make, then involve them in the shopping for the groceries, the prep and the cooking. This whole process will hopefully pique their interest and make them more likely to give the finished dish a go! Choose a recipe which is easy and quick to prepare as children might lose heart if it’s too long-winded a process - try these quick and healthy mango smoothie bowls or peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.”

Get your kids to have school dinners

If your children have started school, then one method you can try to help prevent their picky-eating habits is to let them have school dinners. This worked for Claire, from the parenting blog Life, Love and Dirty Dishes, who tells us: “My top tip around mealtimes and fussy eating are to get your kids to have school dinners. My eldest child would happily eat fruit but would never touch veg, and my youngest child wouldn't touch either. However, it all changed when they started school. Whether it's the fact they get to choose between two meals each day, they are hungrier, or whether it's seeing their peers eat things - maybe it's all three - but after they had started having school dinners, I saw a huge difference. Now they both love a roast dinner and will happily have four different kinds of vegetables on their plates! So, in my experience, school dinners really help combat the fussiness.”

Words of encouragement go a long way for children who are fussy eaters, so try to focus on the positives, hide your frustrations, and remember that it’s completely normal for children to go through this stage. Hiring household staff can help you have more free time to cook with your children and try to combat their picky-eating habits. Contact us today to find out more.