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[quote=Anonymous]NPR did an episode last year on picky eating: [url]https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/06/09/618025893/want-your-child-to-try-eat-almost-everything-skip-the-kids-menu[/url]

I think there is a big difference between a kid that has an actual food or texture aversion and a kid that will only eat things like chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. A child who has physical reactions like vomiting or gagging to many types of food or who requires feeding therapy doesn't fall into the group of "picky eaters".

Many parents don't expose their kids to a large variety of foods, spices, cuisines, etc. as well as the fact that many parents fear their child going hungry for any period of time. The result is that kids end up eating alot of the same thing and refusing to try new foods. Its really important that kids get as much exposure as possible to different flavors especially from the ages of 1-3. I see so many parents relying on pouches and smoothies as meal replacements which tend to be on the sweeter side and mask the flavors of most of the ingredients beyond apple or banana. When my daughter was a toddler she loved blueberries but I limited buying them more then twice a month because I wanted her to try lots of other fruits. Even though I knew if I fed her blueberries she would easily eat them it was also important to me that she have a wide variety of fruit even if that meant alot of nights of her refusing to touch kiwi or melon. Every month I would try buying a different grain so she would get exposure to things like couscous, quinoa, wild rice, barley, amaranth. White rice is still her favorite but she knows that its something we have once in a while, not all the time.

I love having dinner parties but I also try to know my audience. Offering multiple items so that there is a high likelihood that there is at least one thing that each person can tolerate is a good practice. Offering things in a deconstructed manner so that kids can customize food to their liking like tacos or putting sauce on the side is also helpful. Its also important to remind kids that a dinner party is about sharing a meal together and when one kid has their own special food it can take away from the experience. We go out to eat fairly often to alot of different types of restaurants. I try to remind my three year old that eating out is a special experience and when we go to a restaurant we are going so we can try new things. Sometimes that means having a treat like a mango lassi or getting to order dessert but it also means that the rice might have things mixed in it or the bread might look different than what we have at home. Its helped her be more open to new cuisines and new foods. [/quote]

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