Use this framework as general, gentle guidelines as they align with your family’s needs^[1]:

Parent’s job around food:

Decide the what- What foods are provided for each meal and what foods are available in between meals. 

Set the when- When foods are available, try to maintain structure around meal times and snack times.

Choose the where- Create a calm, stable, distraction-free space for meal time. Take advantage of the time to check in and share. 

Be the example-  Eat what and how much makes you feel good, avoid creating good versus bad foods and reward dichotomies (ice cream if you eat broccoli), and be firm on exposure. They don’t have to eat the food, but it should be in their space, either on their plate, just a single bite portion, or on a separate dish near their plate. It can take 8-20 exposures for a child to accept a new food.

Kid’s job around food

Which foods to eat and how much to eat-> Both of these decisions are vital to allowing kids to maintain agency and body trust. Their capacity to eat what, and how much, they physically need is inherent. External rules steal that from them. All people have likes and dislikes. Kids go on food jags where they love or hate certain things. They will over eat and under eat. Avoid creating struggle around food that may create lifelong issues and instead create a foundation of trust, balance, flexibility, and body respect. 

Ways to help kids open up to more foods:

• Allow them to help with selection and preparation
• Offer the same foods prepared in different ways (raw, roasted, mashed with butter, etc.)
• Make interesting dips, platings, or stories around foods
• Expose them to other kids eating varied diets (videos, books, friends with broad palates) 

Ways to add nutrition if you are concerned they aren’t choosing enough balance and variety:

• Roast and puree veggies (sweet potatoes, squash, peppers) into sauces  
• Dice spinach into confetti for creamy, butter-based, or tomato sauces
• Shred veggies (zucchini, carrots, etc.) into meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, etc.
• Make whole food smoothies or juices as a supplement for fruit and veg intake
• Offer a daily chewable or gummy vitamin

If you’re really concerned consider booking a consult for them with a registered dietitian, like me!

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^[1]Child feeding concepts adapted from Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding