Putting dinner on the table every night can be a challenge especially if you make separate meals to please your little fussy eater or there will be chaos when your cooking efforts are rejected by your crying kid who would rather roll on the floor crying than touch the carrots! Instead of spending 30 minutes on a family meal, you now spend 60 minutes catering to different taste buds and that's not fun!
There are some things you can do to ensure everyone enjoys the same meal. But first, let's learn why offering separate meals for your kids is not a great idea.
1. Less healthy diet
If you often offer 'kid food' (such as chicken nuggets or boxed mac 'n' cheese) while you eat your 'adult food' (such as chicken breast with broccoli or salad), your child will receive the message that certain foods are meant for them to eat, while others are not. Furthermore, 'kid foods' are less nutritious as they are always sweet, salty, made with refined flour, and no vegetables in sight.
2. Allows children to control meals
It is your job as a parent to decide which foods to serve, where to eat, and when to eat. Your child, then, decides how much or which to eat based on what is provided for them. If you keep making a second meal the moment your child rejects the main meal, you are putting them in control of deciding what's for dinner. That has turned your role around, which may lead to mealtime power struggles and further picky eating tendencies.
3. Less exposure to a variety of foods
If you keep offering the same few foods, your child is missing out on exposure to a variety of foods, textures, and flavours to expand their palates! You will want your child to not be scared when trying 'new' foods and enjoy foods at restaurants, friends' houses, and during travels. And for that to happen, you have to encourage them to try a broad range of foods at a young age.
Tips to get your child to eat the family meal
1. Allow your child to choose
Instead of letting them have control by picking their separate dinner, allow them to choose what goes on their plate based on what is served. Let your child 'assemble' their dinner plate. For example, you serve tortillas, shredded cheese, ground beef, tomato, and lettuce. Each diner gets to construct their plate — maybe it's a tortilla, cheese, and tomato, maybe it's a tortilla, ground beef, cheese, and lettuce. It does not matter which version, what matters is it is one dinner and everyone is full and happy!
2. Compromise
Make sure there is something on the table that everyone likes. For instance, if it is beef shawarma night and you know your child is not a fan, it is okay to have another protein option that still fits the meal. This does not mean you prepared them a separate meal because everyone else can enjoy these extras too! Another tip is to serve sauces on the side instead of mixing them into the meal.
3. Stay calm!
Sometimes your child will only pick one food to eat out of the different, various foods that you offer. You can encourage them to choose other foods, but if they do not want any, it is fine. It is just one meal! They will have 15 other meals in the week and their palate will expand over time.
However, cooking a separate meal for your child is not bad either. This way, you are encouraging your little one to be the little decision maker which in turn, promotes independence and improves self-confidence.
You will also not be weary of throwing food away as your child will wipe clean their favourite meals! And, dinnertime will also be calmer as you won't be spending time nagging your child to eat meals that they do not want or are not in the mood for.
Fussy eating is simply a phase, and tackling the issue with a strict stance won't help both you and your child. If you find yourself screaming at your kid who would rather have a cheese toastie than freshly cooked chicken rice made for the whole family, let your child have it their way but not without hiding some extra nutrition in it!
