Difficult-to-feed children: A practical guide

Difficult-to-feed children? If you often face mealtime dramas with your children, you’re not alone. Many Latino parents in the United States share the challenge of raising picky eaters while trying to maintain a balanced and healthy diet.

Don’t worry! With a little patience and creativity, it is possible to transform those stressful moments into positive experiences.

Frisky?

Rejection of certain foods is common during childhood.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP), this stage is usually part of normal development.

Children may be skeptical of new tastes and textures, especially if they are not repeatedly exposed to them, so they may be difficult to feed.

Cultural factors also play a role: in many Latino families, children may prefer strong, familiar flavors such as tortillas, beans or rice.

Strategies

Include them in the kitchen. Invite your children to participate in meal preparation. Choosing ingredients or mixing recipes motivates them to taste what they helped create.

Make the dishes visually appealing. Present foods in fun shapes, such as smiley faces with vegetables or colorful fruit skewers. This captures children’s attention and arouses their curiosity.

Introduce new foods gradually. Offer small portions of new foods along with their favorites. According to a University of Illinois study, they may need to try something up to 15 times before accepting it.

Encourages regular meal times. Avoid constant snacking so they come to the table with an appetite. Maintaining stable schedules helps establish good eating habits.