Eating Growing Foods

We want to teach our child that they have to eat lots of different foods to help their body child grow. This can feel really challenging when your child is only eating one food item on their plate and resisting your efforts to encourage them to eat or even try other foods. But hope is not lost and it’s important we stay consistent in our messaging and our efforts. When feeling frustrated with your cautious eater, it is important to try and avoid saying or making negotiations such as “take one more bite of broccoli and then you can have dessert.” Instead, say: “you have to eat lots of different foods to help your body grow.” And then serve a portion of fruit with the meal.
When you phrase something like “if you eat this, then you can have that,” it is perceived as a threat to a child. They will also then view dessert as this mysterious food that somehow holds a special place in the food chain. Instead, you want to focus on the messaging that they have to eat lots of different foods to help their body child grow.

Now what do you do when your child is only eating one food item on their plate? “I see you are really enjoying the pasta. It is really yummy. I also see other foods on your plate. It’s important to eat lots of different foods to help your body grow.”
Maybe your child responds with “I only want pasta!”
You say: “I know you really like the pasta. Remember you have to eat lots of different foods to help your body grow. If you are still hungry after eating other growing foods on your plate, you may have another serving.”

This may likely lead to a tantrum. This is a good thing! As counter-intuitive as this may seem, we are looking for a tantrum! Your child’s tantrum is allowing the child to process the strong feelings they have about eating a particular food, while also learning to pay attention to how their body feels, including their hunger cues.
Review my post on “How to Handle a Tantrum” which includes steps to take to guide your child (and yourself) through.

Remember - repetition is key here. At dinner with my family, you will hear me say over and over “you have to eat lots of food to help your body grow.” Kids love to mimic and repeat what you say. They will internalize this phrase and remember it in other settings, like when they are eating with peers or other family members. You are laying the foundation to teach your children the importance of eating “lots of different foods to help their body grow,” and then you learn to let go…