When you realise that you might have a picky eater or a fussy eater in the house, don’t panic. Catering to the nutrition needs of little ones can be tough—especially when they decide they only want food that’s red! But the good news is that picky eating is usually just a phase. And with a few practical tips, you can make mealtimes less stressful and even fun.
Top fussy eater busting tips
1. The trojan horse method
Disguise healthy foods within dishes your child already loves. Try swapping fries for sweet potato chips or using insulated food jars to keep healthy swaps warm and delicious all day long.
2. Make them the mini chef
Get kids involved in meal prep! Whether it’s choosing veggies or helping stir, giving children ownership makes them more likely to try new things. Bonus points if they use their own personalised lunchbox to pack the meal they made!
3. Embrace the great experiment
Mix things up. Introduce new cuisines, ingredients, or textures. This stimulates curiosity and prevents tastebuds from getting “stuck.” Turn it into a game: what’s one brand-new food you can try together this week?
Kid-friendly cheese fondue recipe
This lighter fondue recipe uses comforting flavours to encourage veggie dipping and fun family meals.
Ingredients – cheese sauce
- 500ml whole milk
- 30g slightly salted butter
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp English mustard powder
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp nutmeg (ideally freshly grated)
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 100g mild cheddar, grated
Ingredients – for dipping
- ½ loaf of sourdough bread, cubed
- Small head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 8 asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 small courgette, cubed
- Handful of radishes, halved
- 2 boiled beetroots, peeled & cubed
- 4 gherkins, whole or sliced
Instructions
- In a non-stick pan, add milk, butter, garlic, mustard, pepper, nutmeg and flour. Heat on medium and whisk for about 5 minutes until thickened.
- Add cheddar, whisk for another minute until melted and smooth.
- Cool to a child-safe temperature, then serve in a bowl with veggies and bread for dipping.
- Make it a game—everyone dips and tastes together on the count of three.
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