Here's a mystery for all times. Why will a kid eat Harry Potter dirt-flavored jelly beans but not a green bean?
The fun of the gross-out? Because a friend gave it to them? Maybe on a dare?
Some say parents should use the same psychology with foods kids hate. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says one strategy is to name the food. That's not steamed carrots! It's X-ray Vision Coins!
Might work. Seems like a lot of trouble for carrots.
In the end, picky eating is more about accepting new tastes, textures and the fact that they aren't in control of what goes on their plate (thankfully), says Dina Rose, a sociologist and author of It’s Not About the Broccoli.
Kids need up to 12 exposures to food before they accept it, Rose says. That might mean just looking at it. Adults might remember having the same experience with school food.
The key is not to completely cater to kids tastes. They might want macaroni and cheese at every meal, but parents shouldn't make a separate meal just for them. Remember they need exposure to foods.
Sally Sampson, co-author of The Picky Eater Project, says she used one strategy with her children that offered them an option. If they did not like what was being served, they could leave the table and choose either cottage cheese, Cheerios, or plain yogurt. Her children said these options were just boring.
If meals are pleasant and happy, kids won't really want to leave the table.
Other tactics: Involve kids in preparing the food. Help kids grow a vegetable garden. Be sure to offer healthy snacks when they come home from school.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
