Keep mealtime relaxed.
The food environment should be stress-free. Joyful meal times help babies start off with a positive experience at the dinner table, which wards off food battles in the future.
Don’t pressure your child to eat something he doesn’t like.
If your child turns his head away or makes a disgusted face, don’t make him eat any more of the food at that sitting. Give him something else that you know that he enjoys. This will set the stage for him to be open to trying new food next time.
Avoid giving your baby too many choices.
If you offer a menu of choices at every meal and at every snack, then your child will quickly become used to this. If you offer up too many options now you’ll spend the next fifteen years as your child’s personal chef!
Show your own joy as you enjoy a variety of healthful foods.
Children learn from observation and they will pick up cues about what is good to eat from watching the adults in their life. So be sure that your baby learns some good habits from watching you!
Read more tips in The No-Cry Picky Eater Solution by Elizabeth Pantley.
