10 Tips for Getting a Picky Eater to Eat

“Ugh! How are we ever going to get him to eat?” I asked my husband for the umpteenth time. My son, Rafi is eleven years old and weighs in at just about 48lbs. Ever since he was little we have struggled to get him to eat. Even as a little baby he could barely feed long enough. We took him to nutritionist, occupational therapists, speech pathologist, and endocrinologists. He just doesn’t like to eat. Too much effort. He’s a twin and although his brother is a bit bigger, he’s not a great eater himself. Now, I would blame myself as a parent, but the thing is I’ve raised two other children who eat me out of house and home. OK, I’m no Julia Child’s-granted, but my food isn’t all that bad. The thing is that some kids like to eat and some are just picky. And, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, growing up, I was a pretty picky eater myself. If you’re raising a child with special needs and diets (no sugar, gluten free, etc.) you may have an additional challenge, but there are some tips and tricks that can help. First, though, you must assess why your child is not eating. Is it a:

sensory issue (has textural aversions to certain textures and tastes),
motor issue (jaw tires easily or can’t chew with coordination)
or perhaps an attention issue (easily distracted)

Here are 10 tips on getting your child to eat

Although we have not succeeded in making our son a giant, we did finally achieve a pleasant mealtime experience for everybody. It definitely took some head banging, re-orienting and practice-but it is well worth it. Here are 10 tips to help get your child with special needs to eat more effectively.

1. Include your child in decision-making

Allow your child to help you plan some of the meals. This does not mean you should be a short order cook. In fact, that is discouraged. But, doe your best to innclude his favorite foods. About an hour or so before the meal, talk to him about it. If you can’t give him a wide-open choice then give him a choice between two or three different meals.

2. Plan Ahead

Solicit your child’s input when heading to the grocery store and take her list with you. This way you can purchase items you know she will enjoy.

3. Stick to routine

Eat at the same time respectively for each meal. If you need to change the meal time try and give your child advance warning and prepare him as best as possible.

4. Skip the snacks

This is crucial for picky eaters. They tend to graze all day on empty calories.

5. Introduce new foods over and over again

Don’t give up until they've seen the food at least sixteen times.

6. Twenty-one days

Yep. It’s the twenty-one-day rule. It takes twenty-one days to change a behavior. I use this rule for table behavior. If you want your child to sit at the table and they keep falling off their chair, getting up from the table, etc., provide a reward upon their sitting nicely for twenty-one days in a row. If they slip up, you start over. That’s right. Twenty-one days.

7. Be patient

Don’t loose your cool over food. Kids have very little control over their lives and if they know their eating gets your goat, they will use it against you. Trust me on this stay calm.

8. Minimize Distractions

Make your breakfast or dining room free from distractions, including your cell phone!

9. Don’t offer dessert as a reward

Never give food (especially dessert) as a reward try these 10 alternatives instead.

10. Try a mouth warm up

With an electric toothbrush, chewy or vibrating mouth tool. For kids with low muscle tone this can get their jaw muscles ready to eat. You can also try chewing gum 30 minutes before dinner to warm up their jaw and get their tummy juices churning. So try out some of these tips and turn your meal time into an enjoyable family time for everyone!

Ilana Danneman