Things to think about this holiday season for your selective / picky eater.

This time of year can be very stressful for most, but even more so for the selective / picky eater. Why? Well, it is the time of year, filled with large holiday meals, lots of family, and expectations. I know it may be hard to believe your child(ren) are not looking forward to sitting down at the family table for an amazing feast.  Most children are more excited about the "party" and not really interested trying grandma’s famous holiday stuffing, especially the selective / picky eaters. 

With this being said, the holiday meal is not the time to expect your child to eat or try new foods. This does not mean you should not involve your child in the process. Make the holidays more about the experience rather than the actual food as for picky eaters, this can cause undue stress and anxiety around the whole process. Here are some tips I tell my clients on ways to improve the experience of the holidays for their child:  

• Involve your child in the menu planning and preparation of the meal (as much or as little as they want to help with).   
  
  
• If you are not cooking at home, go over the menu in advance with your child so they are aware of the offerings and know what to expect.   
  
  
• Make sure your child has a preferred snack at least 1-2 hours before the event to ensure they at least have some fuel in them before the meal but also allowing some time to be hungry.  
  
  
• Let the host know in advance if you will be bringing something for your child if they will not be offering one of your child’s preferred items   
  
  
• Speak with your family about not making food an issue for the day. Even simple comments like, “why isn’t he/she eating any of the food we made?” can be hurtful for the child.   
  
  
• Lastly, relax and enjoy the day. If your child eats, well then great! If not, do not worry. As a pediatric dietitian, I tend to look at a 7-day period when it comes to adequate nutrition for a child as they will eat differently every day depending on the needs of their bodies at that time.  
  
  

I have a selective eater as well and understand the challenges around holiday meals. We work on making the meals enjoyable and exposure to new foods most days of the week, but we DO NOT do this during the holiday meal. I typically make sure we have at least one preferred item on the menu and then enjoy the meal. If he does not eat (which he typically won’t), I do not worry. I offer a snack 2 hours later, again with a preferred item in the snack. It is only one day!