Is it really possible to raise children who aren’t picky eaters? Are there any tips to make mealtime a healthy haven of eating pleasure? It’s a dilemma most moms deal with at some time or another.

The journey to healthy kids who eat healthy food and make mealtime more relaxing and less contentious begins before they are ever born and their propensity to prefer healthy foods over junk food is nurtured throughout their childhood.

So, how can we prevent picky eaters…

• Begin in the womb and while you breastfeed. While your sweet little bundle of joy is developing within your womb she is being nourished through your amniotic sac. She not only receives the nutrition she needs, but flavors of the food you eat are being transmitted, as well. The same is true when you breastfeed. Studies show that what they receive from you becomes what they desire as they grow up.
• Start Early. Toddlers are often little eating machines. They put just about everything in their mouths. Take advantage of that stage. Introduce a variety of healthy foods to them while they are still in the ‘hand-to-mouth’ phase. Avoid potentially high allergenic foods and things like honey during the first year, but other than that, expose them to a wide range of foods – especially healthy ones.
• Limit Snacks. Keep snacks down to a minimum and determine to keep healthy snacks on hand. Cut carrots, celery and even broccoli and keep them in a “snack container” in the fridge. When your child wants something between meals, offer them one something from the snack container and let them have all the water they want. If you don’t get their taste buds accustomed to sweets or chips in between meals, then they won’t crave those things.
• Be Fruity. Fruit is a healthy addition to your child’s breakfast, a great part of any lunch and a wonderful after dinner dessert. When you make it part of the meal or the treat they get when they eat a healthy dinner, they are more prone to eat a nutritious meal and crave fruit instead of chocolate.
• Let Them Help. Children LOVE to help. It makes them feel valued – it makes them feel like they’re part of the process…part of your world. When you’re at the store, let them help pick out the fruits and vegetables you’ll be taking home to prepare. Let them help clean produce before you put it up; allow them to have a helping hand in picking out the recipes (When they’re small, a cookbook with pictures is very helpful).
• Educate and Connect. Teach your children how wonderful fruits and vegetables are for them. Since blueberries are known to be high in antioxidants, you can make up fun little names to help associate their benefits…like “Big Girl(or Boy) Blueberries” or “Strong Body Building Blueberries”. It may seem silly but you are planting little seeds that will help them always relate blueberries to strength or something that helps you grow to be a big girl or boy.
• Make Food Fun. Kids love having fun. Use cookie cutters to create fun little shapes out of their sandwiches. Make their plate a festive food delight. Make a smiley face using raisins, grapes or bananas and celery sticks or carrots.
• Define Eating Time. Family mealtime is important. Children thrive on routine and it’s important for them to know that they eat their meals with their family and that on a normal basis they have specific times when they eat. If you don’t define their eating time, they will become ‘pickers’ as well as picky eaters.
• Give Them a Choice. When it’s time to eat and you give them the choice to eat what you serve or not eat at all. It doesn’t have to escalate into a food war. Just give them the choice eat or not to eat. It won’t take long for them to realize if they are hungry, they need to eat what is served. There may always be one or two things they don’t really like. They also should be allowed to have one or two types of foods they don’t really like. We all have a couple of things that turn our stomachs every time we taste them…your children will too. As they grow and you find out what it is they don’t like, just either put a small dab of that specific food on their plate with the chance their taste buds may change or don’t put it on their plate at all.
• Be Their Example. Children are natural imitators. What they see, they do. That can be a good thing, but that can also be a bad thing. It’s hard to instill how wonderful it is to eat fruits and vegetables when you’ve got chocolate dripping from the corner of your lip. They will look to you to not only tell them what is right but to show them what is right by your example. Since many of us have developed our own bad eating habits, it’s definitely not always easy, but it’s another way we put their needs before our own…and when we do we show them we love them.

Eating habits aren’t always easy to define, but picky eaters become picky because parents struggle with controlling what their children eat. It’s inconvenient. It’s frustrating and it’s even sacrificial, but it’s one of the ways we love them well.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:10-20