I Can't Eat Healthy...I Have a Picky Eater at Home

CHICAGO - Jan. 22, 2015 - PRLog -- Many New Year resolutions for adults begin with some form of healthy living whether it’s to exercise, eat healthy, lose weight, etc. Temptations are there every day, especially when you have a picky eater at home whose diet consists of pizza, chicken nuggets, and hotdogs. In an era with Whole Foods, Paleo diets, and organic produce at our fingertips, how do we improve a child that is a picky eater to create a successful, family nutrition plan?

Ali Swillinger, MSW, LCSW and Clinical Social Worker for North Shore Pediatric Therapy recommends these tips:

Re-create expectations around feeding. Eating does not just have to be about pleasure, it can be about sustenance, nutrition, and a time for social interaction/community.
Motivate compliant behaviors through incentives. Feeding is a behavior just like any other so if you want to target increased compliance with eating certain foods, provide incentives to encourage the desired behavior.
Debunk negative thinking. Chances are your child’s refusal of food is due to negative thoughts around how they perceive the food to taste or impact them.
Pair foods together. No one says that a meal will only consist of just preferred or just non-preferred foods so it is important to teach balance.
Model. Model. If you want your children to get healthy foods and interact with a balanced plate so do you! Align with your child and demonstrate for them that these foods are good and good for you.

For the full article, please visit http://nspt4kids.com/parenting/picking-apart-picky-eater-5-tips-address-childs-problem-feeding/

With 5 locations, North Shore Pediatric Therapy (NSPT) is the only concierge health and wellness center for children and young adults, that combines the power of multiple disciplines, first class service, and inspiring results, that has become the company’s hallmark. Deemed a Thought Leader in pediatric therapy, NSPT brings Peace of Mind to thousands of children and their families with its invigorating blend of positive environment, heroic staff, and blossoming kids.  NSPT provides the ultimate discovery that challenges can be overcome, and happiness restored.  Our team is comprised of Neuropsychology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Social Work, Nutrition, and Academic Specialists.  Visit us at www.NSPT4kids.com.