How To Handle A Picky Eater(age 5 to 8)

Why is my child such a picky eater?
By school age, most children are getting over their fear of trying new foods and their need to constantly assert their independence. Still, an occasional food jag — when your child insists on eating the same foods at every meal while turning up his nose at anything new — is no cause for alarm.

Keep in mind that this age group still appreciates the familiar, whether it's a regular bedtime routine or their peanut butter sandwich cut on the diagonal. And while your child probably isn't still saying "No!" just to assert himself, he still appreciates having some control over his life, including what foods he eats. Your child probably doesn't like having much attention paid to his eating habits, so keep your approach low key. Whatever you do, don't pressure or bribe your child to eat because you'll only run into resistance.

Tips for introducing new foods to a picky eater
Your child has an innate sense of how much food his body needs to grow and be healthy, and it's up to him to decide what he's going to eat. The best thing you can do is to provide a wide variety of healthy foods in a positive, relaxed environment so that mealtimes will be enjoyable for everyone. Here are some specific tips on how to handle a picky eater:

• Provide a variety of good foods for your child to eat at each meal. Your grade-schooler may be happy to try new things, or it may take numerous exposures to a new food before he's willing to give it a go. So be patient. When you do offer a new food, simply place it on the dinner table with everything else, and don't make a big deal about it. Don't put it right on your child's plate; let him choose it for himself. He might dig right in, or he may warm up to it eventually, after seeing you eat it a few times.

• Don't give your grade-schooler too many options at mealtime. If you say "It's dinnertime. What would you like to eat?" your child will probably choose something familiar, and he'll seem like a picky eater, says Hudson. However, if you say, "Here's dinner," he'll have to choose from among the foods you're offering. Of course, you won't want to offer an entire meal of unfamiliar foods because your child simply won't eat them. Instead, always offer a meal that includes at least one thing you know your child likes.

• When presenting new foods, don't offer them in large quantities. If by some miracle your child is willing to try a new food, give him just a taste and let him ask for more before putting a whole serving on his plate. This way he won't feel overwhelmed, and it won't seem like a waste of food to you if he doesn't eat it. And try to present new foods when he's hungry — like slices of mango when he has the afternoon munchies.

• Keep in mind that some children's palates are more sensitive than others', and they simply won't like the texture, color, or taste of some foods. That's why a child might claim to dislike a food he has never even tried. Likewise, some children may reject a food because it reminds them of a time when they were sick, or because it has some other negative association. If your grade-schooler complains that a particular food will make him sick, stop serving that food for a while. You can always try again when he's a little older.

• If you send a packed lunch to school, give your child some choices about what goes in it, but also include a fun surprise now and then. An exciting lunch is more likely to be eaten.

• Whenever possible, involve your grade-schooler in food decisions and preparations, including shopping and making meals and snacks. (And if he can help you grow some of the family's produce in the yard, so much the better!) This will give him a sense of control over his diet. And he'll be more likely to eat something that he's chosen or helped make for himself. (This works best if you let your child choose from a small selection of foods you've already picked out rather than just asking what he wants for dinner.) Make fun, healthful treats together, like yogurt-and-fruit banana splits or smoothies.

• Look for ways to boost the nutritional value of the foods your grade-schooler enjoys. Put some tuna or ham on his grilled cheese, or meat or tofu in his spaghetti sauce, for example.

• Teach your grade-schooler (without lecturing) about good nutrition. Put a food chart on the refrigerator and have him color in the requirements as he meets them each day, and mention nonchalantly that his oatmeal will help him run and jump better at school today.

• Keep in mind that many children are less picky eaters when they're away from home. So as your child's world expands and he begins attending school, his palate may broaden as well.

An extra word about breakfast: Research shows that kids who eat breakfast do better academically and socially at school. So it's worth putting some effort into finding healthy foods that your child will eat before heading out the door in the morning. Be open to foods that aren't traditional breakfast foods — like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk or an egg taco — if that's what your child prefers.

How can I get my child to eat a wider variety of foods?
It's unrealistic to expect a grade-schooler to eat a wide range of foods. In the long run, the example you set by serving and enjoying all sorts of healthy foods — at home and on the go — is one of the best ways to help your child learn to eat well. But for now, try to remember that your child's choice to eat only a few foods is just that — his choice, and it's important to let him learn to make his own decisions about food.

"A child needs to be in control of what he eats," says Nancy Hudson, a registered dietitian at the University of California, Berkeley. If you force a child to eat a food he doesn't like ("You'll sit at the table until you finish your peas"), or more than he wants, you could be setting him up for problems later: Children who are never allowed to make food decisions for themselves (such as deciding when they're full) are at a greater risk for developing eating disorders or becoming obese later in life. What's more, your strategy will almost always backfire because forcing your child to try new foods will only make him more stubborn and less open to trying new things in the future.

If your grade-schooler seems to be eating nothing but macaroni and cheese for days on end, don't worry. Start keeping a record of what your child eats — you'll probably find that he's hitting all the major food groups and getting the nutrients he needs over the course of a week. Studies from the American Dietetic Association show that children — even those whose parents consider them "picky eaters" — generally consume a wide enough variety of foods to meet their nutritional requirements. If you really don't think your child is eating well, you could give your grade-schooler a daily multivitamin.

How can I tell whether my child is really getting enough to eat if he's not growing?
Don't panic if it seems like your grade-schooler isn't growing fast enough. Children don't always grow at a steady pace, and there will be times when your child doesn't seem to be growing at all. Keep in touch with your doctor if you're concerned, but don't convey your fears to your child. If you're constantly hovering at mealtime, wheedling, cajoling, and counting calories, he's likely to become even more resistant to eating.

source from http://parentcenter.babycenter.com