The kid who won’t eat anything or would sooner die than eat anything but macaroni and Cheerios – we’ve all faced a picky eater moment. Fortunately, Amanda Haas, Williams-Sonoma’s test kitchen manager and creator of the popular One Family, One Meal blog, has three tips to help:
1.
Try, try again
Children
change their minds, tastes change and palates broaden, so don't worry about a
broccoli snub or carrot contempt. "You can introduce a food item to a
child up to 12 times," Haas says, "and they could still change their
minds."
2.
Relax
"I
do think a lot of it comes from how we choose to deal. It's like temper
tantrums," Haas says. If you don't pay much attention to them rejecting a
food the first time or third time -- or 11th time -- reintroducing a new food
won't be a big deal. It's only when we regard the dinner plate as a battleground
that it becomes one.
3.
One family, one meal
Don't
fall into the two-meal trap. Parents and children should enjoy the same meal.
It's a disservice to your kids, Haas says, to assume they'll only eat dinosaur
chicken nuggets. Instead, she says, tell your kids, "There are three
things on your plate. You can choose from what's there."
Find
more family dinner tips and recipes at Haas' website, www.onefamilyonemeal.com.
