Another Mealtime Strategy For Picky Eaters

While I'm lucky that I don't have the pickiest eaters, they're still toddlers so obviously they aren't the best or most adventurous eaters either.  I never stress about this (anymore), but I'm still always trying to think of ways of getting them to try new foods and to get Nibbles to eat a bit more as he's quite tiny.  

I've posted on the topic of picky eaters twice in the past here and here.  But there are always new mealtime  strategies to discover. 

I've been testing something on my twin toddlers over the last week and I have to say, the results have been great so I think I need to share it.

About a week ago when they got home from preschool I went through their backpacks and realized they had received their Schoolastic book order.  I put the books on the kitchen table and I put both of them in their boosters to eat lunch.  When they noticed the books they asked if I could read one.  So I did.  And then another, and another and another.  I think we must have gone through 8 books and we would discuss each book after I read it.  I then noticed they had finished everything on their plates.  

I thought I might be on to something so I decided to read them books at all their meals and see if they kept up eating this well.  They did.  

So after a few days of this I decided it was time to add in some foods that they previously wouldn't eat (ie: brussel sprouts, asparagus, red pepper, oatmeal and mixed dishes like casseroles to name just a few).  And guess what, they consistently finished everything (or just about everything) on their plate at every meal as long as I continued to read to them.

I'm so over-the-moon about this because I'm killing two birds with one stone.  They're both eating well/trying new foods and being educated all at the same time.  

The only downfall is that I don't get to eat with them  because I'm too busy reading to them.  But I'm okay with that. Plus sometimes they feel bad for me and feed me pieces off their plate which tides me over until I can eat my meal.  But over the last days, I've started interchangeably reading and eating which has been working out well.

Try this with your picky eaters and see if it works.