B Minor

B Minor

Most children go through a stage in their lives where they become fussy eaters. This often happens when the children’s growth has slowed down and they do not need to eat as much as they did previously. My eldest had a small appetite and little interest in food when she was younger so I would like to share with you the strategies that I put in to place to ensure that her daily dietary needs were being met.

Firstly, in order to maintain a healthy relationship with food, it is important to never place pressure on children to eat.

 

Not all children like to eat full meals

Place a plate of food that includes your child’s daily nutritional needs on the bottom shelf of the fridge or at a table at their level with a drink bottle filled with water so that they can eat throughout the day as they need.

This might include foods such as veggie sticks, cut fruit, frozen peas, dips, dried biscuits, croutons, sandwiches, pumpkin seeds, pasta, special K without milk, dried fruit etc.

 

Include your child in preparing their meals

Include your child in preparing meals. I encourage my children to help with peeling and cutting the veggies (there are great child-friendly peelers and knives on the market for children these days) and also serving their own portions. It gives them a sense of ownership which in turn encourages them to eat.

I also find that if children are able to be included in the cooking process that they will often pick at the food whilst it is being prepared which means that they may not have to eat as much of their meal.

*My children often eat a carrot each whilst I’m cooking dinner so I don’t include it in their meals if we are having a meat and three veg meal.

Hide veggies in everything.

There are loads of meals that you can hide veggies in that children would never know about.

Spaghetti bolognaise and sausage rolls are my favourite secret veggie meals.

Veggie pikelets, mini quiches, fried rice made with cauliflower instead of rice are also winners in my house.

 

Make food fun

One of the most successful ways I was able to get my daughter to eat during her fussiest period was to create what I call fun food plates. Making faces with the food or serving it in a fun way makes eating fun and creates a positive experience when it comes to eating.

 

Pic 1 watermelon house

Watermelon House

House = Watermelon

Door and windows = Fruit roll up

Garden = Kiwi fruit

Tree = Muesli bar and grapes

 

Pic 2 teddy bear

Teddy Bear

Bear = Chopped up steak

Belly = cheese slice and tomato sauce

Ears and nose = Cucumber

Eyes and ears = Carrot

Mouth = Carrot peel

Grass = Lettuce

 

Pic 3 car

Car and Traffic Light

Car = watermelon

Wheels =Strawberries

Windows = Fruit roll up

Road = blueberries

Sun = Peach

Clouds = Yoghurt

Traffic light = Fruit roll up

Pole = Peach

Green light= Grapes

Orange light = Carrot

Red light = Strawberry

 

Pic 4 house

Home amongst the Gumtrees

House = cheese

Roof = Sandwich, (fillings as requested)

Windows and door = Fruit roll up

Tree = Broccoli drizzled with lemon juice

Sun = Lemon slice

Grass = Spinach leaves

Flowers = Grapes with Spinach leaves stalks

 

Pic 5 three bears

Three Bears

Bears = Carrots

Eyes, nose and mouths = Sultanas

House = Cheese

Roof = Chopped steak

Windows and doors = Carrots

Doorknob = Sultanas

Grass = Lettuce

Sun = Sauce

Flower = Tomato slice and broccoli leaf

 

Pic 6 Pippa

Goldilocks

Goldilocks = cucumber

Dress and mouth = Tomato

Hair = Grated Cheese

Eyes = Sultanas

Sun = Tomato

Flowers = Pita bread, cucumber and tofuti

 

Pic 7 lollipop lady

Lollipop Lady

Torso = Risole

Arms and legs = Carrot

Face = Cucumber and tomato

Hair = Grated cheese

Clothes = Tomato sauce

Grass = Spinach leaves

Lollipop = Spinach stem, cucumber, tomato and

cheese