We can get into food ruts and comfort zones when we finally find something our child will eat. “Just give her a cheese stick, she’ll at least eat that…” has rolled off my tongue a few more times than I would like to admit. Even if the food is healthy, eating the same thing over and over again will actually stall the adventurous eater in your child. There will also come the time when they will eventually refuse that food, because they are simply tired of it, and you will find yourself asking, “Now what?”
So… Now what?
Some questions you can ask yourself:
- Have you been feeding that item multiple times that week?
- Have you been serving it the same way every time? (because that’s how she has liked it)
- What has been the variety in foods you’ve been serving that week?
There are days when your child could just not be in the mood for that food. Or they may have been overserved where they are bored with it, or the way it’s being prepared. Below are some super simple & doable tips that can help you solve the problem of “Mom! I don’t like spinach anymore!” The word to keep in mind is variety.
- Using a few ingredients that week but in various ways
Cinnamon is a wonderful and beneficial spice that you can use in so many ways. Your child can be your coffee buddy with a mug of warmed almond milk, a touch of honey and cinnamon. You can also put cinnamon in their smoothie. I have also put cinnamon in Brooklyn’s carrot ginger soup, which makes it extra toasty.
- Perhaps your child is bored with avocado?
I’ve mashed it like guacamole and sprinkled sea salt on top. Smeared it on whole grain toast. Cut it into boats and wrapped smoked salmon around it (bonus protein!). Put it in a blender with some fruit and plain yogurt and make popsicles. Create a nutritious chocolate pudding with avocado (recipe on my website!).
- When meal planning or creating your grocery list- focus on adding new items each week
Rotate some new things into your list and have your children help you with this. You can always spend an hour writing down different fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fats on small pieces of paper where you can draw your choices out each week.
I bet you have some great ideas on how to get more variety in your kitchen. After all, variety is the spice of life! You’re doing a great job and I hope these tips help amp up your game. You can get even more tips by downloading my FREE E-Book, “Discovering The Adventurous Eater in Your Child” on this website.
Simply Yours,
