“I do not want to eat that Mommy.” is a statement mothers hear too often. It is very common for a picky eater to prefer certain foods which can hinder his body of nutrients essential for his growth. Take your picky eater on a food adventure and widen his food preferences with the help of these tips.

Make Use of Your Toddler’s Senses

Get your toddler to touch the food and say, “Feel how shiny this apple is honey.” or “Look, your cauliflower looks like a tree.”. Smell the food and say something like, “Wow, this apple smells really good.” and then encourage your toddler to do the same. After which, you can move on to licking, taking a small bite and then a normal bite. Tell him that it is okay if he spits it out if it tastes bad to him. While he is chewing his food, tell him to listen to the sound in his mouth and say, “The apple is very crunchy, right baby?”. This technique usually works in helping picky eaters become more comfortable with food.

Go To The Grocery Store or Farmer’s Market

Exposing your picky eater to a place filled with different kinds of food is the best way to introduce food in a subtle way. The produce aisle will look just as appealing as the candy aisle. It has every color, size and shape of foods you can imagine. The next time you go to the store or market, make it an adventure by handing your child a small bag and have him choose one fruit and veggie that he thinks looks cool and yummy. Without a doubt, your toddler will be so excited to eat his hand-picked goodies once you arrive at home.

Visit Farms

Another way of introducing foods to your picky eater is by visiting farms. Schedule a trip to a dairy, fruit or vegetable farm during the weekend so he can see how cheese is made, how potatoes and oranges are grown or how milk is produced. The more your toddler learns about a food, the more interesting it becomes.

Cook Together

The next time you think of a dish to cook for dinner, ask your little one to choose a recipe. Let him help you in the kitchen. He can get the ingredients out of the fridge, wash the vegetables, crack eggs or stir the sauce. The more involved he becomes in making a meal, the more likely he is willing to try and even enjoy it.

Experiment

Make food fun to eat for your picky eater by cutting foods into various shapes using cookie cutters. Serve carrots, broccoli and other veggies with a favorite dip. Slice potatoes into wedges, sprinkle some salt and grill them (for a healthier alternative to French fries). For dessert, slice a variety of fruits into small chunks, place them together in a bowl and add some cream. Or, mix them in a blender to make smoothies.

Camouflage It

When all else fails, the best way to introduce foods to your picky eater without his knowing is to hide them. For instance, add wheat bran into pancake batter. Put a small amount of pureed spinach or broccoli into scrambled eggs, soups and pasta sauce. Sneak a few pieces of chopped turnips into a pot of boiling potatoes, mash them together and serve. When baking bread, add some squash or zucchini. This way, he is able to enjoy his favorite foods while getting the adequate nutrients he needs at the same time.

Making your picky eater eat the good stuff is not always easy, but it can be done with a little creativity and cleverness.