EAT | 5 TIPS FOR PICKY EATERS!

Hey guys! Today I'm so excited to talk about something that many of you have requested. You need to eat your dinner. Picky eating is a topic that's near and dear to my heart. My daughter Avery has always been a picky eater, so today I'm going to share some tricks that have worked for me. I'm Meg and I'm passionate about finding easy, healthy, delicious recipes for kids. So in our family we have a one-bite rule, which is the kids have to try everything on their plate before they decide whether or not they like it. Just try one bite. Not a lick, a whole bite. I think I started when Avery was in about two and a half and could communicate what she did and didn't like about a food. Just keep in mind that you want to start with things that you think they'll like, like a piece of fruit. You really want to build their trust. Good girl! Experts say it can take up to 10 times for kids to develop a taste for something, so be patient and keep presenting. I used to send Avery to school with a lunchbox filled with everything I could imagine, thinking that she'd definitely have to eat something. And every day she'd come home and I'm pretty sure she hadn't eaten anything. So I started experimenting with sending her to school with just about three or four items. A sandwich, some cut-up fruit, a hard-boiled egg, and some Greek yogurt. And sure enough, she'd come home and she'd actually eaten something of it. So you can do this at home too. Just limit their options and keep the portions small. Let's count and see how much pasta you have left. Keep it to about 10 pieces or under and then I try to incorporate something fun. I like to do a math game with Avery. I find that when the portions are smaller, Avery has this amazing sense of accomplishment when she finishes. You finished? Every Sunday we take Avery and Brooks to the farmer's market. They run around, they have so much fun, and they eat everything they can get their hands on. We buy the produce, we bring it home. They want nothing to do with it. I couldn't figure out why. And then I thought, maybe it's the toothpicks. So the next week we tried it and it worked. Speaking of presentation, one of our viewers turned us on to the most amazing site where they create insane things out of food. How cool is that? You don't have to go crazy to make this tip work though. It can be as simple as a cookie cutter. Nathan, what is that? Get your kids as involved as possible. This can start with meal planning or at the grocery store. I like to take my kids to the store and let them pick out pasta shapes, choose between two vegetables, anything that lets them feel involved. When we get home, they help me cook. Brooks loves to stir and Avery's a little more advanced so she can do things like scoop muffin batter. And probably their favorite part of being involved is taking turns serving the food. Don't be afraid to talk about nutrition. In our family, we use the term growing food to emphasize foods that help you get taller and stronger. Look at my muscles. So strong, Avery. You can be even more specific. You know, carrots help you see better and milk helps your bones grow stronger. So that's what's worked for us. What are your tricks? I'd love to know. Leave a comment below and if you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe. Thanks for watching guys and good luck with your picky eater. Did you get to 10? Yeah. High five!