Managing Fussy Eaters – A Simple Guide

If you know some fussy eaters, or if you are one yourself, here’s a quick guide to getting back on track 

Whether you are reading this because you are a picky eater, or because your partner or children are fussy eaters, you probably want to know how to eliminate this annoying trait so that everyone can start eating the same thing. It can be difficult to live with a picky eater as it often means that the chef of the house has to create several different meals, causing for more washing up, more food bills, and ultimately, more stress.

There is no straight fix to dealing with picky eaters. They have become that way for a number of reasons over time, and it takes time to reverse this way of thinking. However, there are some things you can try, and by taking it a step at a time, you may find that your picky eater problem starts to fade away:

1. If you’re dealing with kids, don’t give them too much attention when it comes to picky eating. Raisingchildren.net says “Giving fussy eating lots of attention can sometimes encourage children to keep behaving this way. Make healthy foods fun – for example, cut sandwiches into interesting shapes, or let your child help prepare a salad or whisk eggs for an omelette. Turn the TV off so your family members can talk to each other instead.” If you are the picky eater, then the same thing can apply. Try not to think about how much you hate that particular food as you watch it being cooked. Don’t dwell on your hatred of foods as this negative thought can only enhance your problem.
2. Focus on the positive. Think about what this piece of food will do for your health, rather than what it tastes like. Try explaining this to picky eating children, too. For instance, Fruitful-office, says that “Apples are rich in pectin. Pectin acts as an antioxidant – a chemical which help prevent cancer. You can feel more assured if you eat an apple after a high-cholesterol lunch. Apples also contain Vitamin A which helps your vision…Finally, due to a compound named Procyanidin B-2, apples have also been shown to help slow ageing-related problems. They’re know for preventing wrinkles and promoting hair growth. Who doesn’t want an anti-aging solution like that?
3. Research shows people reject foods based on what they look like over their taste. So, another tip could be to alter the look of the food. Baking it within something else, or by chopping it up very small and going from there. If you don’t like banana, try eating a banana loaf first. This will help you get used to the taste of banana and avoid the look of a banana in something more familiar like a sponge cake. 
4. Don’t give up. It can take ten attempts to try a new food before a weaning baby is willing to actually eat it. The same goes in adults, so the lesson here is to keep trying every now and again. 

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