The holidays are here and with them, an abundance of food and family traditions. Unfortunately, this time of year can be even more challenging for parents of picky eaters. These big holiday meals can often be a source of stress and breakdowns for a picky eater. Fortunately, with a few tips and a little planning, you can plan a Thanksgiving meal your picky eater will enjoy. Check out these tips below to keep your Thanksgiving meal fun for everyone!
1. Try offering Thanksgiving foods early
Slowly begin introducing your picky eater to a few foods you plan to offer at Thanksgiving to increase exposure to these unusual foods they don’t normally see. You don’t need to prepare the entire dish you plan on making on the day of (you definitely can), but instead offer the components in these dishes. For example, offer green beans if you plan on making a green bean casserole, offer yams with butter and minimal spices if you want to make candied sweet potatoes or casserole, or even provide cranberry sauce with their next meal. By slowly introducing these foods, your picky eater will be more likely to try the dishes you make on Thanksgiving because it will reduce the stress and anxiety of trying something new to them.
2. Make sure to offer one of your child’s safe foods
A ‘safe food’ is food you know your child will like if offered. This food is something you know they will most likely eat, even if they choose not to eat the other items on their plate. Having this food on their plate can bring a sense of comfort, knowing that they will eat something regardless of the other foods offered. If you plan on celebrating at someone else’s home, you can always bring your picky eater’s safe food to offer.
3. Have your child help you prep the meal
Asking your child to help prepare some of the foods for Thanksgiving can help increase exposure to new foods. Depending on their age, you can ask them to mix ingredients or pour liquids into different recipes. School-aged children can probably help with more difficult tasks such as chopping vegetables or measuring ingredients. Often, they will taste the foods they are helping to make and are more likely to try the final dish when you present it on the table.
4. Make Thanksgiving food fun
Most of the time, Thanksgiving foods can be more adult-friendly than kid-friendly. Changing it up by asking your child to help you come up with fun and silly names for the dishes you are making or creating the dishes into fun Thanksgiving shapes can help increase the chances your child will try the food. For example, trying “Magnificent Mashed Potatoes” or “Super Sweet Potato Bites” can make a picky eater’s ordinary dish more exciting. Creating a turkey-shaped veggie or fruit tray can also turn boring food into something fun.
5. Keep the mealtime fun and relaxing
Having a picky eater can create a lot of stress when it comes to holidays. Instead, focus on having a fun and relaxing time and enjoying your time with friends and family, making the day more enjoyable and less stressful. Know that you have done all you could do to help your child feel comfortable and have something to eat they will like at the end of the day. Even if they do not eat everything, know that they are happy and fed.
