You've seen the face across the dining room table at dinnertime. It's the tight-lipped, scrunched-up-nose expression your child adopts when asked to eat something he or she doesn't like. Dinner with a picky eater can be frustrating for parents trying to make sure their child gets the proper nutrition for growth and development. Solutions in and out of the kitchen to the challenge of feeding a choosy child include:
- Flavor foods with a healthy fat such as olive oil, a little spice and touch of lemon juice for the best taste.
- Incorporate veggies into favorite foods. For example, use mushrooms on pizza and spinach in ham sandwiches.
- Make choosing foods at the grocery store and cooking them fun activities to do with your child.
- Take baby steps, encouraging your child to try at least one bite, and be prepared to offer unfamiliar or disliked foods 10 to 15 times before seeing a change.
Keeping Your Cool
While living with a picky eater is never fun, don't let your child's preferences ruin your eating experience. Use your choices to set examples of healthy eating habits and a mature palate. One of the best ways to encourage your child in the right dietary direction is to have him or her eat what everyone else at the table is eating, instead of cooking a separate meal.
| Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Mash
Your child may not be a fan of vegetables, but no child can turn down Dr. Seuss-inspired green mashed potatoes. Topped with cheese and served piping hot, this side dish is a healthy addition to dinner.
Ingredients
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
½ pound broccoli crowns, chopped to make 4 cups
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup skim or low-fat milk, heated
½ teaspoon salt
1 dash ground pepper
Directions
Boil 1 inch of water in a large pot. Steam the potatoes in a steamer basket for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli, cover and steam for six to eight minutes or until the potatoes and broccoli are tender. Move broccoli to a large bowl and mash as you would potatoes. Add the potatoes, cheese, milk, salt and pepper to the broccoli and mash the ingredients together until the mixture is as lumpy or smooth as you like.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 135
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 17g
Protein: 7g
Fiber: 2g
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This article, provided by My Health Publisher, can be viewed here.