How to Deal With Picky Finicky Kids

Are you your kid's slaves? Do you find yourself cooking several different meals for several finicky, picky kids who will not eat what is put in front of them?
Here are some clues as to how to get your kids to sit down and eat together. This is crucial as tiptoeing around several kids and cooking several 'made-to-order' meals in expensive and time-consuming.

You need to establish rules for a sit-down meal. . Turn the television off. Focus on conversation that includes everyone. Don't use dinner time to nag or punish your child for behaviors that aren’t related to mealtime. A kid that associates meals with getting punished ends up with eating disorders or worse – a lack of weight gain due to being too upset to eat.

Make it clear that at mealtime nobody leaves the table until you say so. He or she must stay seated and there must be decorum. No throwing of food, silverware, making funny faces or any of that.

You can reinforce good behavior at the table by complimenting your child whenever he or she does something right.

Finicky eaters might respond well to a time limit. Limit dinner to a half an hour. Make the kid eat everything during that time. If he or she does not finish by the end of the thirty minutes the plate is removed. This prevents the kid from dawdling while eating.

Don't let kids think that you are a short order cook. You can plan your menus in advance. Include your picky eater by letting him or her help plan the family menu, encouraging them to try something new. Children’s cookbooks are available to help with meal planning. Once you have created a menu, stick to your plan.

Denying a kid that won't eat dessert is far. Desserts or snacks should only be given if your kid finishes the previous meal.

Finally, make an attempt to make your children their favorite foods. This will encourage them to eat and also make them look forward to dinner. Encourage talk about food at dinner about why they like certain foods and not others. You can use dinner time to teach them about eating well, cooking and shopping.

Of course, not all picky eaters are control-freaks. If you suspect that a health problem is behind your child's picky eating then be sure to take him or her to a doctor for a check up.

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Eating Breakfast for Dinner

If you are bored of the same old eating routine why not switch it up a bit. There is absolutely no reason why you can't eat breakfast for dinner every now and then. Plus eating breakfast for dinner might be give your budget a little break as having bacon and eggs instead of steak and potatoes is generally a little easier on the pocket book.
For an exotic treat from the Far East you might try making omelets from dill, eggs, scallions and fish sauce. This makes the omelets extra spicy and a bit more exotic so that it suits supper time.

If you adore omelet's but want something a bit more interesting you can take the concept one step further and make an omeletter soufflé. In this case you take some eggs, sharp cheese, butter and sea salt and the beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. You then pour it in a skillet and let the broiler do the work of allowing it to raise.

Another glamorous dish is yeasty waffles. These are waffles made with yeast instead of baking soda which makes them heavier, richer and sweeter. They are best served with a big dollop of fresh butter or yogurt.

Think about going Mexican by combining scrambled eggs, bacon cheese, spinach, tomatoes, red pepper, avocado, hot sauce and sour cream into a burrito wrap. This is also a very healthy recipe full of fiber and vitamins. Another great Mexican recipe is Huevos Rancheros which is red and green peppers served on a tomato salsa and a corn tortilla.

Yet another good recipe is eggs baked in roasted tomato sauce. Sometimes sausage, ribs or meatballs are combined with the eggs to make a delicious meal.

A very glamorous dish is a sandwich called a torta which consists of fried eggs, spinach, pulled pork and roasted jalapeno. Any breakfast sandwich can be concocted form an array of breads or fillings. A nice combination is biscuits filled with very sharp old cheddar, strawberry jam, an egg and Italian sausage. Yet another nice combination is an egg, pastrami and havarti cheese sandwich.

The classic egg dinner is quiche. You can make quiche in many different types of combinations but usually it is just eggs, cheese and vegetables cooked up in a pie crust. Julia Child used to make a very famous dish called Bacon and Leek Quiche but combinations like mushrooms and cheddar cheese and basil, red pepper and gruyere cheese are also good

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