If you have a child in preschool, you probably know what it’s like to have them refuse healthy food. Even if you don’t have a particularly picky eater, it seems that almost all children go through a fickle phase at some point or another. The daycare professionals at A Brighter Rainbow Learning Center in Billerica, MA, know that this is a common part of growing up.

Yet, with years of experience working with young ones, the staff members at this daycare have come up with some creative ways for overcoming a picky eating phase, which they’ve shared below:

• Make Food Sound Fun: If your child balks at the sight of broccoli, consider presenting vegetables and other health foods in a fun and unique way. A study conducted by Cornell University found that children ate twice as many carrots when they were called “X-ray vision carrots” instead of just “carrots,” for instance.

• Switch Up The Preparation: Sometimes, children will prefer food when it’s prepared a certain way. If you typically steam your vegetables, consider serving them raw (or vice versa).
• Give Them Options: At A Brighter Rainbow Learning Center, the daycare staff sees firsthand how much enjoyment children have when they are given some creative freedom. Why not apply the same concept to dinner? Every so often, invite your kids to decide on a couple of food items or ingredients that will make their way onto their dinner plates. Present them with sensible options like a side of pear slices, brown rice, and so forth.

Meal times and daycare should be enjoyable parts of your children’s daily lives. To learn more about how A Brighter Rainbow Learning Center encourages healthy eating and child development in their classrooms, speak with one of their helpful staff members by calling (978) 670-9222. Or, you can visit their website for additional information.