Having a fussy eater in the family can be challenging. There are the practicalities of preparing the meals that they will eat. The frustrations over making food and seeing it left or rejected. The worries about whether they are getting the nutrition they need.
The overall message from nutritionists and psychologists is not to worry. Lots of kids go through phases of fussy eating, Up to 50% of parents report having kids with picky eating habits, but over time these can fade or evolve. But there is no doubt that kids who do have their own particular ways when it comes to food can be exposed to less food groups and consequently get a bit less of the nutrition they need, so it’s great to be armed with some cunning parenting tricks to try and get a wider range of nutrients inside them!
Be a good role model
Picky eating habits can be learned so demonstrating a love for food and enjoying healthy stuff is a good way to pass on good habits (or if you’ve got some stuff you don’t like just keeping it to yourself in the early years).
Keep things fun
Forcing kids to eat or using rewards or punishments as a tool can have negative consequences - far better to keep meal times fun and something kids want to participate in or accept that they may be getting their nutrition from snacking or grazing as well as formal meals.
Let them choose
Offering a few things to choose from on the table and letting them choose what they want on their plate puts them in control and lets them find their own way to the stuff they like. Children often have to try a new food between 10 and 20 times before deciding they like it.
We’ve tried to factor some of those insights into Kids Good Stuff. We wanted to create a highly nutritious kids snack that just happened to look like, be made like and taste like…. a kids milkshake!
- It’s fun.
- They can make it themselves.
- They can choose their favourite flavours (from the simple ice cream classics of Wild Strawberry, Rich Chocolate and Vanilla Caramel).
- It tastes good.
- It can work as a snack, a drink with a meal or to accompany cereal, fruit or yogurt at breakfast.
And as well as all that, it's packed full of the goodness they need to fill the nutritional gaps in their diets and support their 11 body systems - essential vitamins and minerals, digestive enzymes, plus prebiotics, probiotics and more (and with none of the bad stuff that might be found in shakes like sugar, artificial flavours or thickeners).
We’re sure there will still be plenty of fussy eaters out there who take their time to make Kids Good Stuff part of their daily nutrition as well. But hopefully it's one more tool in the cupboard to help mums and dads get good nutrition inside their kids, whether the kids know that’s what they’re having or not.
(Oh and if you want to be a good role model then its great in family smoothies and, shhh, we promised not to tell, but plenty of our very-much grown up athletes, ambassadors and affiliates are partial to Kids Good Stuff as much as they like Clean Lean Protein or Good Green Stuff so feel free to bring out the kid in you with your own shakes and we won’t tell if you don’t).
References
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-baby-scientist/201711/surviving-mealtimes-picky-eater
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/childrens-health/art-20044948
