5 Tips to Stress Less with a Picky Eater During the Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, it's time to start thinking about festive gatherings and meals with family and friends. For many parents of picky eaters, the holidays can be a stressful time as they try to navigate changes in schedules, strong feelings like stress and excitement, and mealtimes with unfamiliar foods to their child. Changes in routines, even if for just one day, can disrupt a child's eating behaviors. These disruptions are often trickier to deal with among children with ADHD, sensory processing, autism, and/or other developmental disorders or delays. But to help make mealtimes more manageable for everyone this holiday season, here are five tips for picky eating that may just do the trick!

1. Maintain a normal eating schedule when possible.

Children thrive on routine and structure. Even the slightest disruption to their schedule can exacerbate pickiness and other behaviors. The holidays are fun and exciting but also overwhelming. When possible, stick with your familiar feeding routine to make mealtimes more manageable for your child. Ideally, a routine eating schedule is established well before holidays or other busy times of year. Establishing a regular eating schedule not only helps kids with transitions, but helps them learn to eat more intuitively by sharpening their hunger and fullness cues.

2. Prepare your child for changes in routine.

Changes in routine are one of the most common causes of stress or behavior difficulties for kids, but luckily there's something simple you can do to help them get through those moments with ease. If routine disruption is unavoidable, talk to your child in advance about what schedule changes to expect. Talking about changes in routine is an effective way to prepare your child and minimize the potential impact on their wellbeing and development

This will help your child cope with anxiety or other underlying behavioral issues. It can be really helpful to even show your child videos and pictures of new or unfamiliar places that they will visit in advance.

3. Involve your child as a big helper.

Who doesn't love a cute little sous chef? Allowing your child to take part in meal planning and meal preparation can make mealtimes more enjoyable for everyone as well as teach kids valuable skills that encourage independence when it comes to cooking (and eating) foods! Whether it’s stirring ingredients together or helping set the table – letting your child have some control over mealtimes is a surefire way of getting them excited about what’s offered. Are you going out of your home for a holiday meal? Prepare something your child will eat and bring it as a side dish, appetizer, or dessert!

4. Redirect instead of restrict foods.

Food restriction is associated with overeating and an unhealthy relationship with food. Instead of restricting, try redirection, a positive parenting strategy. E.g., if your child skipped dinner but asks for another helping of dessert, instead of saying "no," redirect them with a game, music, or other activity. This strategy gives you peace of mind that you allowed your child some dessert, but are gently helping them learn to regulate their own appetites and avoid over-indulging (and belly aches!).

5. Set realistic expectations for your child and yourself.

Reduce anxiety and stress by setting realistic expectations for your child and yourself. Expect tantrums, just have a plan for handling them! No matter how frustrated you may get when dealing with a fussy eater – don't forget that mealtimes should be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Consider making mealtimes less about food and more about togetherness this holiday season by telling stories, jokes, and playing games such as ‘guess the ingredient’ or ‘taste testing’ different types of food together. Laughing along the way will make mealtimes much more pleasant and memorable than if everyone was simply focusing on eating!

Summary

Eating shouldn't be stressful during the holidays so hopefully these five tips will help make mealtimes a lot smoother when dealing with picky eaters! Remember; maintain your normal routine as much as possible, prepare your child for any changes in routine, involve your child as a big helper, redirect instead of restrict foods, and set realistic expectations for yourself and your child. Remember, it is healthy to make choices that put the needs of your child and family first so that you can share enjoyable moments together during the holidays! If you follow these tips then hopefully there'll be plenty more happy memories around the dinner table this holiday season!

Do you need more help navigating picky eating?

I'm Beth Conlon, PhD, RDN, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I help families manage picky eating with practical tools and strategies that work, reduce mealtime battles, and finally enjoy eating and feeding as a family.

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