The term ‘picky eater’ can include a wide range of food issues with little ones. So in order to determine how to handle your child’s eating habits, its best to try and figure out what exactly is the issue.
Some kids are very sensitive to textures, so often just preparing a food a different way will get them to enjoy eating it. Some kids are very visual, so if a food does not look fun or appealing to them they just will not eat it. Then there are the kids who use food as a power control tool and not eating has nothing to do with the food at all and more about them wanting control over everything.
Whichever the issue, I have put together a guide based on age to hopefully help you address some of your child’s eating challenges and therefore make mealtimes less stressful for everyone.
 
6 months - 2 years Old

• Children at this age are just exploring what food is and how to feed themselves. Explore with different tastes, textures, spices, purees, soft finger foods, small chunks, etc.
• Feed your child everything that you are eating, with the exception of honey for under 1 year olds. They need to see you enjoying the same foods and they will learn how to properly eat by watching you. Remember you are teaching them HOW to eat.
• Let them practice with a spoon and fork. Yes it will be messy, but this is part of the learning.
• This is when children need to start learning about meal times, and what is acceptable (ie. throwing food on the floor is not ok)

 
2 years – 3 years Old

• Continue emphasizing proper meal/snack times, and eating together as a family. Meals should be done away from the tv/screens so that they can focus on their foods and not learn to mindlessly eat. Even if they do not want to eat, it is important to have them remain seated at the table and remind them that meal times are family time. Often a reason that kids do not want to sit and eat a full meal is because they just want to go play. If you start early with this rule is will be a lot easier to enforce as they get older.
• Let them help you in the kitchen by setting the table and putting food on plates. Even just having them watch you prepare the foods will get them more interested in trying it.
• The biggest trick at this age is giving them some control over what they want to eat but not full control. So for example, you can ask your child if he/she would like carrots or broccoli on their plate, but not having any is not an option.
• Only prepare one meal for dinner. There is no reason to make multiple meals (unless there are dietary restrictions). If you start doing this it will be a lot harder to stop and no one has time for it. Some kids do not like their foods to be all together, such as in a casserole or with a sauce, and that’s ok. Before you put everything together just dish the foods out on their plate, and this way you are allowing them to eat the meal the way they would like, without having to make anything extra.
• Use the one bite rule. If there is a new food or dish you are trying, let your child know that if they do not like it they do not have to eat it, but they at least have to try one bite to see. If you take the pressure off of them having to eat the whole thing then you will find that they will start to be more open with at least trying it.
• At this age children really start to want to control everything…what clothes they wear, how they want their hair, and what they want to eat. Often times the struggle at meal times has nothing to do with the food and more to do with them wanting all the control. So even if they refuse to eat a particular food one day, keep offering it.
• Baking is a great thing to do at this age because its fun and easy for them to help with. Muffins are perfect for adding fruits and veggies to.
• Make eating fun. Use dips and cut foods into fun shapes.

 
4 years and Up

• Make sure kids at this age understand exactly what your meal/food expectations are and stick with them. If you haven’t started a great eating routine yet, this is the perfect time right as they start school…its never too late.
• Again kids like to have a sense of control, but as parents remember that it is your job to provide your child with healthy foods/meals and its your child’s job to actually eat it. If he/she is not eating their meal just tell them that its ok, but there is nothing else and if they get hungry later their meal will be waiting for them. Or a healthy snack will be provided but make sure the snack is at a later snack time, not 30 minutes after dinner is done because they said they were hungry now.
• Get your child to make their lunches for school. This will ensure there is a greater chance they will eat it at school.
• Get them to help you plan dinners for the week, and then take them grocery shopping. Getting kids excited about food will help tremendously when it comes to their willingness to try new things. Make it fun. Pick up one new food each week and make it a family affair to try it.
• Continue eating together as a family and making sure that you are practicing what you preach. If you are not eating a certain food, your child wont either.
• As kids get older you will also start to learn what foods they really don’t like. Never force kids to eat. You don’t want to create a negative feeling towards food, always keep it positive.
• Try not to use dessert as a reward for eating ALL of the food on their plate. Kids need to learn how to listen to their own bodies about when they are full. A treat after a meal can be used as encouragement, but you want your child to eat because they enjoy the food, so try to focus on the whole meal experience….sitting nicely, proper table manners, etc.

 
If you need more help, contact me for other tips specific to your child and family situation!

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• Up to 70% of our body is water
• You could survive weeks without food, but only days without water
• Being overweight actually decreases the bodies percentage of water
• Water is lost each day and therefore needs to be replaced daily
• Drinking more water will help with bloating, not cause it
• More frequent trips to the bathroom is a good thing! It means your drinking enough and your kidneys are working properly
• Water is needed to form muscle
• Drinking cold water may help you burn more calories

Our bodies need water to regulate body temperature, provide the means for nutrients to travel to all our organs, transport oxygen to cells, remove waste, and protect joints and organs. We lose water through urination, breathing, and sweating. Not drinking enough water may result in tiredness, headaches, dry eyes and mouth, water retention, poor concentration, constipation, and muscle pain.

As a general guide, 8-10 glasses of total water a day should be enough to satisfy the bodies needs. We get about 20% of our water through food and the rest comes from beverages. Physical activity and higher temperatures increase the bodies fluid needs, so add in an extra couple glasses of water a day. Juices, teas, and coffee do count towards total water intake. However, many juices contain high amounts of sugar, and coffee/teas contain caffeine, which can act as a diuretic so increasing water consumption will be beneficial.

It is very important to listen to your body’s own signs of thirst. Try not to let yourself get to the point of being really thirsty, this is a sign that your body is already dehydrated.

​Tips for drinking more water:

• While studying or working, keep a bottle or glass of water on your desk.
• Drink water with meals.
• Pack a water bottle with you in your bag or car.
• Be sure to always have a water bottle with you at the gym.
• When you are thirsty, buy a water bottle from the vending machine instead of pop or juices.
• When feeling hungry, drink a glass of water first and wait 10 minutes. Our bodies actually cannot tell the difference between hunger and thirst.
• Keep a glass of water beside the bed to drink when you wake up during the night or to drink first thing in the morning.
• When drinking juice, fill half the glass with water.
• Add lemons, or other fruits to water for flavour.

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​Do not skip breakfast

• All night our bodies have been fasting and when we wake up in the morning we need to re-fuel. Skipping breakfast will cause you to feel more tired throughout the morning and most likely make you crave more sugary foods. Eating a healthy breakfast will get your body going and jump start your day, so that you can burn more calories as the day goes on.

 
Eat smaller meals more frequently

• Our bodies only need a certain amount of energy and nutrients at one time. When we eat bigger meals we are potentially allowing our bodies to store the extra calories away. Eating smaller portions more often will also keep us from getting too hungry later on and possibly grabbing un-healthy choices. Sugar cravings are cut down because our blood sugar levels will stay more balanced.

 
Drink more green tea and water

• The high concentrations of catechin polyphenols found in green tea can actually help to increase metabolism. By switching your morning coffee to green tea, you will also be cutting down on unnecessary calories from the added cream and sugar.
• Consuming more water allows the body to flush out toxins and waste. The process of ‘warming’ water in the stomach burns calories, so add in a few ice cubes. Drinking a glass of water before each meal will also cause you to feel fuller and eat fewer calories.

 
Eat more protein

• Foods with higher amounts of protein in them take longer to digest, which will keep you felling fuller longer. As well, more calories are needed to break down proteins in comparison to carbs and fats. Protein is also vital to building lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, so the more muscle we have the better for weight loss and weight maintenance.

 
Exercise

• Exercise is important because as we are working out we are burning calories. Exercise is also great because our bodies actually continue burning calories at a higher level for several hours after a workout. Try to get in 30-60 minutes or aerobic exercise each day, such as fast walking, running, or bike riding. Make sure to include weight training into your exercise routine as well to build muscle.

My first book is done…woohoo…I can take a step back now and breathe a sigh of relief. I did it! I have had this dream for a few years of one day putting all my thoughts, tips, and recipes down in one place to share with others and I finally made it happen. I wasn’t sure how I was going to accomplish it at first, but self-publishing seemed to be the easiest and fastest way to complete it the way I had it pictured in my mind. It took 7 months from start to finish, but here it is!
This isn’t just a recipe book, it’s a collection of fun, tasty meals, and helpful information on how to connect with your family through food.
I have many more recipes and tips to share so I am already planning out my second book! So stay tuned for that!
Hope you enjoy!
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1. Cut Out Carbohydrates
Carbs provide the sugar that our bodies use for energy. Weight loss is often seen with reduced carb diets because of a loss of water, not fat. Yes it is true that we can gain weight from eating too many carbs, but that is only because we are consuming more sugar than our body is burning. Eating small amounts of healthy carbs throughout the day ensures that our energy levels stay high without worrying about weight gain.
2. Skip Meals
If you skip a meal, your metabolism will slow down because your body goes into starvation mode. This means that your body isn’t burning calories as it should be, and this way you end up storing more fat. Also, you may over eat at your next meal because you are so hungry. The best way to keep blood sugar levels balanced and your metabolism on high is to eat small, more frequent, balanced meals and snacks throughout the day.
3. Only Eat Fat-Free
We need fat for energy, repair, and vitamin absorption. Decrease saturated fats and trans fats, but keep the unsaturated fats in your diet, from olive oil, nuts, and avocados. Foods that are low in fat or fat free often add in extra sugars to keep flavour, as well as thickening agents such as corn syrup.
 4. Eating Any Fattening Foods Will Cause Weight Gain
 Indulging in high fat foods while on your diet, may cause a slight weight gain, it doesn’t actually mean its increased body fat. You need an extra 3500 calories to gain 1 pound of fat. This means you haven’t necessarily blown your diet if you eat a piece of cake one at a party. What will hurt you is if you continue to eat high fat, high sugar foods on a daily basis.
5. Crash Diets Work Well
 These types of diets (low calorie, fasting, or juice/soup diets) may help you lose weight quickly for the short term, but are not good for long term weight loss. This is because these diets not only make you lose body fat, but muscle as well. The loss of muscle means that your body will burn fewer calories, and need fewer calories each day to function. So once you go off this diet and begin eating more, you will likely put the weight back on.