Parenting often throws you into “Why won’t they eat this?” moments, especially when you watch them stare at a single green bean like it’s planning an escape. You set the table hoping for family bonding, but sometimes it turns into negotiations that could rival a United Nations meeting.
Before you give up and let them live on chicken nuggets alone, you can try these 15 tricks that make meals feel more interesting to them. With a little creativity and humor, you might even see them surprise you with a bite or two they never would’ve touched before.
1. Let kids help in the kitchen
When you let them into the kitchen, you give them a chance to feel like the boss of their own plate. Hand them something simple, like rinsing veggies or stirring a sauce, so they feel like they’re running the show.
Once they get involved, you’ll notice how proud they look when that food hits the table. It’s suddenly their meal, not just yours, and that changes the way they approach it.
2. Give food fun names
Kids can’t resist it when you call broccoli “little trees” or carrots “orange rockets.” Suddenly, they’re on some kind of adventure instead of staring down another boring vegetable.
You’ll see how much easier it becomes when the food has a story behind it. Before long, they start looking at peas like treasure instead of something to hide in a napkin.
3. Keep portions kid-sized
When you give them a mountain of food, they shut down before they even start. Smaller portions make it look like something they can actually handle without feeling overwhelmed.
And when you tell them they can have seconds, you hand them a bit of control. You’ll find they usually take you up on it, which feels like a win for everyone.
4. Mix in their favorites
Put the new stuff next to the foods they already love. Slide some green beans next to mac and cheese or add a few peppers alongside their chicken nuggets.
They trust what they recognize, so when you pair the unknown with the familiar, you’re showing them it’s safe to try it.
5. Let them use fun plates or forks
Give them a dinosaur plate or a rocket ship fork, and suddenly the meal feels like a party. It’s hard for them to resist when their dinner plate comes with its own cool props.
While they’re busy showing off their plate, you’ll notice the complaints about the food itself start to fade.
6. Try food “tasting parties”
Set up tiny portions of different foods, and let them decide what to try first. You give them the power to choose, and that makes the whole thing way less scary.
If you hand them a silly scorecard so they can “rate” each food, you’ll see them giggle while trying bites they’d normally refuse.
7. Add a dip to their meals
Bring out some ranch or yogurt dip, and they magically start eating veggies that used to make them groan. Once they start to love it, sneak in a veggie dip, and they wouldn’t even notice it.
When you see them happily dipping and eating without hesitation, you realize how much power a little sauce actually holds.
8. Eat together as a family
They watch everything you do, especially at the dinner table. When you eat the same food without making a big deal about it, they notice it.
Sharing the same meal makes them feel included instead of singled out. It turns dinner into family time instead of a standoff over broccoli.
9. Make breakfast fun
You can flip pancakes into smiley faces or shape eggs into stars, and they light up like it’s Christmas morning. They can’t help themselves when breakfast looks that exciting.
Starting the day this way sets a fun tone. You’ll find they carry that good mood into the rest of the day, even at lunch and dinner.
10. Change how food is cut
Cutting sandwiches into triangles or using cookie cutters to make fruit into hearts or stars gets them curious. Same food, but suddenly they see it differently.
When you hand them a plate full of shapes, they often start eating before they even realize it’s the same stuff they usually ignore.
11. Use food colors to your advantage
Give them a plate with bright red peppers, orange sweet potatoes, and green beans, and you’ll see their eyes light up. Color draws them in before the food’s taste even becomes a factor.
When their meals look like a rainbow, they feel more like a treat than a chore. You might even notice yourself enjoying the plate more, too.
12. Make it a challenge
Tell them to see who can peel their orange the fastest or who can eat the most colors in one meal.
It’s the playful nature that takes the pressure off you and puts the fun back into the meal. Before long, their plate starts looking pretty empty.
13. Keep snacks balanced
You can hand them fruit, cheese, or crackers between meals so they don’t show up at the table starving and cranky.
When they’re not desperate for food, they tend to try new things without putting up a fight. It makes meals a whole lot calmer.
14. Set regular meal times
Kids relax when they know food shows up at the same time every day. It takes away the surprise factor that sometimes makes them refuse to eat.
With a set schedule, you’ll see them approach meals with less hesitation because they know what to expect.
15. Stay relaxed about it
When you stay calm while they stare suspiciously at the spinach, you give them room to come around on their own. Kids feel the difference when you’re not stressing.
If you give them time to see the same foods a few times, they often try them when you least expect it.
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