Does making a family dinner turn into a dreaded event in your household? If so, you may not be alone. More households are facing issues with putting healthy meals on the tables when faced with less time and picky eaters. As experts will tell you, enjoying quality meal time as a family is a great way to connect with each other on the day’s events, take in a healthy home cooked meal, and relish in the downtime. Ideally it can be as little as 15-20 minutes and include a quiet, electronic free meal.
How does this all happen if you have picky eaters (adults or children) and end up making separate meals or grabbing convenient fast foods to accommodate everyone? There is no doubt this can keep families from moving to healthier choices due to ease, little time, and avoiding confrontation at mealtime. But the results may not be worth it in the long run (increased negative impact on health, behavior, and increased resistance to change).
So what may be behind the reasons for picky eaters who are unwilling to try new things? You may be surprised to find out it’s not just be stubbornness.
- Food Additives (certain food additives have been shown to trigger food cravings in some people)
- Food allergies/sensitivities (just as with food additives, eating the foods you have sensitivities may trigger the brain to increase cravings and/or cause weight gain)
- This can take time, but determining the food sensitivities and replacing them with other foods can make all the difference
- Repetition…when we give in to cravings & demands (easy to do on a busy schedule) and don’t encourage new food items, the unhealthy habits become more of the norm. So what do we do about it? Encourage new foods by involving everyone in the planning process
- Whether it’s a picky adult or child, plan new recipes together so they are in on the choices
- Allowing a child to choose from certain veggies in the market or in the refrigerator bin, can make all the difference in acceptance
- Encouraging them to do age appropriate meal prep in the kitchen
Create an adventure…These suggestions may sound impossible with a busy schedule, so try them out on a weekend when you have a little more time and patience. That extra time and effort can make all the difference in your families mood, behavior, focus, and most of all their long term health and well-being. Allow your children and yourself to live more vibrantly by making those small changes, one meal at a time.
