Viral TikTok teaches parents how to stop making separate meals for picky eaters

Doesn’t it seem like the older a child gets, the pickier they become about what they eat? (Just one of the ways babies can be easier than toddlers. Sigh.) And that’s OK, because hey, you like what you like, right? Having a “picky eater” can still be frustrating, however.

This viral TikTok answers every parent’s age-old question: How do I avoid making separate meals for my kids?

“There are two problems when you fix them something else,” TikTok user @myeverydaytable begins in her video, which is a response to a parent who asked this exact question. “One, it sets you up as a short-order cook, and no one wants that job. And two, it doesn’t help expose them to new foods and new flavors.”

So what do we do with our picky eaters?

Well, the answer is so simple and makes so much sense, you’ll shake your head because you didn’t think of it on your own. (But that’s why TikTok can be so helpful—other parents think of these things for us!)

“So you’re going to decide what the meal is,” she explains. “And make sure you’re serving it with one to two items you know they will eat.” She says in her house, it’s usually bread and butter and milk. In our house, for example, it’s apple slices/bread and butter/cucumbers.

“And then they decide what to eat off their plate.” And maybe this isn’t a foolproof guarantee, but more often than not, kids will eat the main meal—or at least try some of it and learn what they like about it and what they don’t like about it. Which is important!

The initial question that this video is in response to was a comment on an earlier video from @myeverydaytable, and it’s also got some valuable information for parents and caregivers of tiny humans.

Here’s why she says saying things like “Just three more bites!” is wrong:

Many nutrition experts agree that we don’t want to teach our children not to trust their bodies. When they say they’re full, believe that they’re full. Plus, she says, pressuring kids to eat isn’t an enjoyable mealtime for anyone.

The more you know!

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