5 Tips to Survive the Holidays with a Picky Eater
Is your child reluctant to try new foods? Are holiday meals stressful for you because you’re not sure if there will be any food your child will eat? If the answer to these questions is yes, you are definitely not alone.
Growing up, I was very much a picky eater, and I would frequently refuse to try different foods for many reasons whether it was the smell, unappealing look, or texture. My parents would always put foods I was unwilling to try in front of me at the table, and I was sometimes reprimanded for refusing to eat them.
By the time I was around nine or ten years old, my parents had given up on forcing me to eat new foods and let me just eat my favorites. This includes holiday dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas, where I was forced to try every dish that was offered.
Fortunately, I grew to like turkey thanks to all those years of being forced to eat it at holiday dinners, and my family stopped forcing me to eat every dish offered since they knew how I would react. I still struggle with being a picky eater, and while my eating habits have improved, I will still avoid foods based on how they look or smell.
Additionally, my friends and family members still joke about me “having the food palate of a five year old” thanks to most of my favorite foods involving chicken or cheese in some way.
Here are 5 tips to survive the holidays with a picky eater:
1) Bring a meal you know your child will enjoy. Meal times will be much less stressful when you know your child will not go hungry. Having Christmas dinner at a relatives home? It’s better to call ahead and lightly say that you child is most likely not going to eat anything offered (no offense to their cooking) and that you are going to bring some kid-friendly food choices for your picky eater.
2) Involve your child in the process of meal time preparation. Let your child help set the table without expecting them to try new foods, and possibly let them help prepare their favorite meal. This will increase the likelihood of them trying foods they helped prepare.
3) Serve your child’s favorite meal family style. Whenever you can, you should make enough servings for everyone attending your family’s holiday gatherings, and this will also help your child bond with family members they don’t know as well through food. Let your child pick and choose from the side dishes and protein options.
4) Put a small portion of each dish on your child’s plate, one at a time. This can help your child get used to trying different foods slowly, rather than all at once. Remember: portion sizes for kids are much different than an adult!
5) Participate in activities that do not involve food. Look on the Internet before dinner for activity ideas the entire family can enjoy, or bring your own board games from home that can help your child bond with your family. For example, play a gratitude game at the table, ask silly questions, and engage the kids around the table so they are enjoying the meal together.
At your next holiday gathering with a picky eater, you should definitely try at least one of these tips so that meal times can be less stressful for you and your family.
