Many parents will tell you that the toddler years are tough for many reasons. Namely among them, picky eating habits.
It can be hard to get your little one to deviate from their normal routines, and if your toddler sticks to a few standby food items, you aren't alone.
Lauren Brinks, Senior Clinical Dietician at Ochsner for Children, says one of the most important things you can do as a parent is "food modeling" ... the act of showing your children what to eat by doing so yourself.
"You as a parent are their biggest role model, so your child will eat better and be more willing to try more foods if they're seeing everyone else at the table eat those foods", notes Brinks.
She goes on to say that, in the same way you would guide your child through schoolwork and other important lessons, the same should apply to eating habits as well.
For parents who have tried introducing new foods with no success, Brinks suggests presenting those foods in different ways.
"Maybe instead of raw broccoli, we're steaming it or roasting it, or putting a dip with it, "notes Brinks. She goes on to say, "Trying to take that same food and present it in a way that looks different or tastes different can sometimes be a helpful way to expose it to them in a different way."
Mostly, Brinks preaches patience to parents struggling to get their child to eat. She says persistence and changing the presentation of their food is ultimately the key to expanding their culinary horizons.
She also urges patience, saying you may have to present a food to a child 15 times before they are willing to try it.
