If you have small children, you probably already know that it can be a real chore to feed them. This is especially true if they are picky about what food they will and will not eat. It is important to ensure your children get enough nutrition from their food and luckily, there are ways of convincing them to eat even if they don’t want to. It is a good idea to have a few favorite dishes on standby, such as crockpot chicken noodle soup, hotdogs, pizza, homemade chicken noodle soup, and chicken nuggets with cheesy mashed potatoes.
Even though it might take longer, it is a good idea to make a few different dishes so your child can choose what he wants. You might like to ask him what he fancies for dinner to get a guaranteed winner. Of course, if he suggests “chocolate brownies and ice cream” you might have to think of something else!
Encourage your child to take a no thank you bite of each of the dishes that you prepare. This way he or she will at least taste the food before disliking it. Nine out of ten times, he or she will like the dish and possibly ask for more.
Another good way to convince your children to eat is to give their food the names of their favorite fictional or cartoon characters. Bart Simpson Stew or Special Spiderman Salad will bring a smile to your child’s face and encourage him to eat the meal. Children identify with shows they like and if they think they are eating cartoon foods, they will be happy to finish the meal.
It is a good idea to make colorful dishes. You could use red, green, and yellow peppers and call the dish Christmas casserole for example. Corn, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes all add color.
Children are very particular and even though they are little, they know what they like. If something does not look appetizing to them, you will have very little chance of getting them to eat it. They do not understand that it is good for them; they depend on you for that.
If you like to cook, one way that you can encourage your child to eat is to let them prepare the meal with you. When you do this, they will see the ingredients, which are being added and feel like they are a part of the cooking process. They are more likely to eat what they prepare because they are proud to have done it. They would much rather have some homemade chicken noodle soups than the stuff in the red and white can.
If you know your child does not like something and it is a necessary ingredient, then wait until he or she is out of the room and run it through the food processor until it is finely ground up and then add it to the pot. He or she will never know it is there.
When you are trying to feed your child, it is sometimes necessary to use alternative methods and even alternative ingredients. The main thing to remember when dealing with kids is to be as flexible as possible and know where and when to pick your battles. No one wants to make dinner time a battleground and with some careful selections and a little flexibility, it does not have to be.
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Tags: cooking, food and drink, soup recipes, soup
