When dealing with picky eaters, turn to some of these positive strategies to slowly change a child’s behaviors and poor eating habits.
What are Positive Strategies for Picky Eaters?
Positive Strategies for picky eaters may slowly shape a child to accept a more diverse variety of foods.
Example:
A parent / caregiver is having major feeding problems with their child. The child will only eat potato chips or packaged peanut butter crackers. The parent is genuinely worried about their child’s health. If the parent offers something else and tells the child that they must eat it or they’ll get sick, the child gets very upset and presents with challenging behaviors. What can parents or caregivers do to change this behavior?
How Can Families Understand Difficulties with Eating?
Difficulties with eating can be a complex issue for families. There is no easy answer, and working with professionals who are versed in feeding disorders is important. Knowing the literature can help families understand these issues and can help in understanding interventions. There are some positive strategies families can begin exploring when there is an eating issue.
Quick Facts
- Child’s Age: 3-10
- Planning Effort: Moderate
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
How to Implement Positive Strategies for Picky Eaters
- First, negate any possible medical issues by checking with your doctor.
- Try to have scheduled meals and snacks rather than allowing ‘grazing’ throughout the day. Children who ‘graze’ have a reduced appetite and may under-meet nutritional needs.
- Make mealtimes a positive time, keeping distractions such as TV, electronics and toy play to a minimum.
- Explore providing a food that is similar to a food your child already accepts and likes. For example, if your child likes the taste of potato chips, provide another type of potato chip, then move to another item that is crunchy and salty, such as corn chips; or place peanut butter on a cracker rather than providing the packaged peanut butter crackers.
- Place a new food on or near your child’s plate with no talk or expectation of trying the food. You may want to cut the item into small pieces and intermittently, quietly eat one or two pieces yourself.
- Explore taking an item the child likes and presenting it differently. For example, if your child likes muffins, cut the muffin in half when presenting it.
- Try ‘shaping’ by placing very small items within or on top of a food; for example, place one sliver of cheese on top of a cracker if the child typically eats crackers. If accepted after a few days, add a bit more.
- If you are concerned about nutrition, do not hesitate to provide a vitamin supplement that is recommended by your doctor.
- Note that there are more intensive interventions such as Appetite Manipulation (limiting access to preferred foods). Such interventions should be conducted in settings with medical supervision.
Positive Strategies for Picky Eaters Resources
This resource was authored by Watson Institute Special Education Consultant, Lisa Plastino, M.Ed.
If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute’s use of this information, please contact us.