March 2025 News From the Nurse
March is National Nutrition Month. It’s hard to keep everyone happy at mealtime especially if you have picky eaters. There are some great ways to get those picky eaters involved in the food selection and prep work. This exposure tactic is a great way to get your kids to want to try the dreaded broccoli or the horrific pea themselves. Exposure is important and very different from tasting.
Just seeing the broccoli on your own plate counts as an exposure moment. On average a child needs a dozen or so exposures to feel ready to try a new food. You can quickly add up these exposures by having your child in the kitchen with you washing the broccoli, cutting the broccoli (if age appropriate), and even cooking the broccoli (if age appropriate) can all encourage the next step which is tasting the broccoli.
Another positive approach to exposing picky eaters is role-modeling. If you eat broccoli and other healthy foods, you make this an acceptable and encouraged behavior. Other ways to encourage children to eat these foods are by sharing meals together as a family and making it a positive social experience at mealtime.
