A Dietitian’s 6 Tips to Manage “Fussy” Eating
Amy Corcoran, MS, RDN
Imagine your least favorite food. Now, picture someone telling you to take “just one bite!” or saying you can’t have dessert until you finish it. Or, even worse, force-feeding you that food!
By putting ourselves in our little one’s shoes, we can start to view fussy eating not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to support our children in learning to like new foods.
Our team of Philadephia nutritionists has worked with many parents and children over the years. I’m sharing my top 6 registered dietitian tips to make mealtimes enjoyable for everyone!
1. Play with Food!
Yes, you read that right! Play with your food! We’re not recommending throwing spaghetti on the wall or playing catch over the dinner table, but a little sensory play can go a long way!
Broccoli might seem boring, but what if we called it “little trees”? How about munching on “carrot chips” like a bunny, or building a lodge out of carrot sticks? How high can you stack cucumbers? Who can snap their peas the loudest? What color is that apple?
Getting curious about food leads to more joyous mealtimes. Success doesn’t always mean finishing every bite; touching, licking, or even smelling a new food is a step in the right direction.
2. Let’s Get Cooking
Did you know children are more likely to try foods they helped prepare? Next time you’re in the grocery store, try letting your child pick a fun new fruit or vegetable! Or put their chef hats on and get chopping, stirring, brushing, or measuring in the kitchen.
3. Dip, dip away!
Raw fruits and veggies might be more appealing with a dip. Experiment with colorful and tasty dips:
- Red pepper, carrot, and beet hummus
- Creamy green pea dip
- Tomato, mango, or pineapple salsa
- Tzatziki
- Yogurt dips (try sweet or savory!)
- Nut butters
A quick tip: try a fruit and vegetable paint night for a fun after-school activity. Serve vibrant fruit and vegetable sticks with colorful dips for an edible art display.
4. Play with Shapes
Transform fruits and vegetables into fun shapes using common kitchen tools.
- Use cookie cutters to create stars, hearts, or animals.
- A melon baller (or small ice cream scoop!) can form fun fruit spheres.
- Try a julienne peeler to make thin strips of veggies like carrots or zucchini.
Fruit kabobs and veggie faces can also add some mealtime fun!
5. Try Food Chaining
For a child who isn’t a fan of kale, jumping straight to it might seem daunting. Food chaining is a technique to gradually introduce new foods by “linking” them to familiar or preferred foods and textures.
- For example, to introduce your child to kale, start with potato chips, move to veggie chips, freeze-dried vegetable chips, homemade kale chips, and finally fresh kale.
- Or, to introduce your child to blueberries, transition from chocolate chip cookies to granola bars, then to blueberry granola bars, to blueberries in oatmeal, and eventually to blueberries!
This process takes time and patience, but you are never alone! Our team of Philadelphia nutritionists is skilled in working with families and children.
6. Communication Matters
With some small tweaks to how we talk about food, we can see big changes in children’s willingness to try them.
- Instead of asking, “Do you want an apple?” try offering a choice like, “Would you like an apple or a banana with your lunch today?”
- Rather than saying, “Just try a bite!” consider asking, “How can we make this taste better?”
- If your child doesn’t like a new food, try reassuring language like, “It’s okay if you’re unsure. You can always try it later.”
- For weary eaters, encourage your child to describe the food: “How does this taste to you? Is it sweet, sour, or something else?” or “What do you think about the texture?”
Curiosity makes trying new foods fun and exploratory, not forceful and scary. It’s also impactful to model healthy eating by trying new foods together, and praise your child for trying new foods!
Bottom Line
Fussy eating can feel incredibly frustrating! The good news? It’s a normal part of development and usually doesn’t impact a child’s overall nutrition.
While “sneaking” nutritious foods (like hiding broccoli in pasta sauce) can ensure your child gets the nutrients they need, it’s also important to expose them to the sensory experiences of different foods. This approach helps build a more positive relationship with food over time!
Are you looking for more tips on fussy eating? Let’s connect! Book now with one of our Philadelphia registered dietitians!
