If your child struggles with food aversions to many different foods and you are having trouble figuring out what to give them, or even how to get good nutrients in? This is a challenge many parents struggle with, especially among our patient population. As a dietitian, it is my job to help bridge the gap between where patients are currently at, and where I would like them to be nutritionally, therefore, I have had to get pretty creative when it comes to picky eaters!
Here is a little bit of a cheat code I came up with to help parents figure out ways to get their little ones to eat more whole foods.
- Find the textures that they prefer. This will help figure out what cooking methods might be best.
- If they like Crunchy/Crispy textures- think about baking, air frying, broiling, or even raw fruits and vegetables.
- If they like Smooth/Soft textures- try pureeing, boiling, steaming, or slow cooking.
- Think through what flavors they are already more prone to eat.
- Sweet/Sugary
- Starchy/Carby
- Savory/Salty
- Now put it altogether! Here are some examples:
- Crunchy + Sweet- Honey Roasted Chickpeas or Apples + Sunflower seed butter
- Crispy + Starchy- Homemade Sweet Potato or Veggie Fries
- Smooth + Sweet- Smoothie or Smoothie Bowl
- Soft + Carby- Healthier Mac & Cheese
Use this formula above to come up with your own ideas, or check out some of these creative recipes you think your kiddo might like:
- Honey roasted chickpeas- https://www.inspiredtaste.net/30421/honey-roasted-chickpeas/
- Air fryer veggies- https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8508134/air-fryer-veggie-sticks/
- Smoothie with hidden veggies- https://thenaturalnurturer.com/creamy-cauliflower-blueberry-smoothie/
- Butternut squash mac & cheese – https://thenaturalnurturer.com/butternut-squash-mac-cheese-dairy-free-gluten-free/
- Spaghetti sauce- https://www.budgetbytes.com/spaghetti-with-vegetable-meat-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-31023
- Chocolate chip muffins (with zucchini, carrot)- https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-zucchini-muffins/
- Sweet potato brownies – https://minimalistbaker.com/fudgy-sweet-potato-brownies-v-gf/#wprm-recipe-container-49500
- Meatloaf/Meatballs- https://unboundwellness.com/hidden-veggie-meatballs-gluten-free-dairy-free/
- Chickpea Cookie Dough- https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/want-to-eat-an-entire-bowl-of-cookie-dough/
If you are looking for more specific guidance and support with nutrition, please reach out to us and book a nutrition consultation with me so we can help restore joy through nutrition!
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
