3 Tips to Prevent Raising a Picky Eater
When you’re trying to feed your child, keep them healthy, and prevent them from becoming one of those weird adults with the stunted palate of a 2-year-old, it may feel like you’re faced with an uphill climb. Research shows that fussy eating may be as linked to genetics as it is to upbringing, not to mention the tangle of other psychosocial factors that can fuel a child’s inscrutable food preferences. That said, there are ways to help your child foster a healthy relationship with food and encourage them to be adventurous eaters. 1. Keep your expectations in check. When a child first encounters a new food, they’re going to give it the side-eye. That’s natural. In fact, according to a 2003 study, it may take as many as 12 “exposures” to a new food for it to become familiar, much less something they want to eat. If you put too much pressure on them to eat every last bit of the new food, that particular food won’t fare well in their memories and you’ll have to fight those negative associations from then on. Instead, talk about the new food as you’re preparing it, involve your child in the preparation, and have them check it out on their own terms. Normalizing those Brussels sprouts is half the battle. 2. Avoid turning vegetables into chores. You might think that offering your child a reward in return for finishing their green beans is a good way to make sure your child gets their
nutrients, but it causes more problems than it’s worth. It just reinforces your child’s perception that the green beans are the “bad” food they have to choke down before getting to the good stuff. 3. Make a variety of dishes. The more monotonous your nightly menu is, the fewer new foods your child will be exposed to, and the harder it will become to introduce healthy newcomers to the table. If your kids like green beans, great, but don’t start serving green beans with every meal just because you know those are the only veggies they’ll eat. Keep it varied and fun, and your kid’s palate will follow. You shouldn’t force your kid to eat food they don’t want to eat, but you shouldn’t cater too closely to their fussy habits either. Present them with a wide variety of the healthy options you want them to eat, and let them discover the joys of taste and texture as they grow.
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Ingredients
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2 teaspoons dark rum 24 packaged ladyfingers 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish
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6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese 1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
Directions
ladyfingers at the bottom of a walled baking dish.
1. In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to beat together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. 2. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. 3. Fold in 1 tablespoon of espresso. 4. In a small, shallow dish, combine remaining
5. Spread half of the
mascarpone mixture on top of the first layer of ladyfingers. Top with another layer of ladyfingers and another layer of mascarpone. 6. Cover and refrigerate 2–8 hours. 7. Remove from fridge, sprinkle with chocolate shavings, and serve.
espresso with rum. Dip each ladyfinger into mixture for 5 seconds. Place soaked
Inspired by Food Network
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