Children vs Food - My personal experience and advice

The following information is my personal experience and advice, and not all may agree. And that is okay :)

Parents,

I receive comments about my children's eating daily (especially Kora). From family and friends, to followers from my food blog, I often hear, "how do you get [Kora] to be such a good eater?"

I found that this article shared a lot of good info and although I've never studied how to raise good eaters, I find myself doing a lot of advice shared here. I highlighted some of my favorite blubs below, but urge you to read the article in full.

It is often heard, "if you have a picky child, it's because you allow them to be picky." I do believe that, to a point. I also do not judge, and do understand that each child is different. The other day, Kora didn't want to try my quiche... it was filled with shallots, fresh spinach (green is evil in kids minds lol), and gruyere cheese. I knew she would like it, but it was so unfamiliar to her, as I just started making quiche recently. I offered her a "prize" if she tried *two* decent bites. Her mouth opened one second later, and then she requested more... Some may see this as bribery, but I see it as rewarding them for doing something good, rather than threatening for not doing what you requested.

The most important and treasured advice I have received: My uncle said to me, before I had kids, "at six months old, feed them everything and don't stop." My aunt said, "make them try food 3-5 times before they convince you they don't like it." I've lived by both of their advice and it's really made a huge difference in our lives regarding the food we give our kids. * It goes without saying to always be aware of food allergies and what food is ok and not ok to give at specific ages.

My husband, Kevin, and I hate tomatoes, yet we still buy them and present them to both kids, who by the way lvoe tomatoes. Kevin finds salmon revolting, but we still encourage both kids that salmon is "mmmm good." Doing your part in guiding your child's palate is a priceless gift for their future, and quite gfrankly will allow you to take your kids to any type of restaurant, and not just somewhere that serves chicken nuggets.

I am no expert, let me repeat that... I am no expert! Anyone that knows me, knows I was the absolute worst eater growing up. I was often "punished" if I didn't have my plate finished by the time the oven timer went off. It makes sense that the article states that kids will associate certain food with punishment or making parents upset. Try to avoid "forcing" it, and be more of a cheerleader for them.

I hope that some fellow parents and future parents find this information helpful. Happy eating!

Pics highlighted from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kids-picky-eaters_n_2339119