How To Eat Out With A Fussy Eater

Eating Out With the Fussy Eater



You want to eat out with your fussy eating children, but you picture this:


* Kids whining at the table
* Siblings kicking and picking at each other
* Kids’ tantrums, outbursts, and demands when they don’t get their fussy appetites satisfied



…and you shudder at the thought and drop the idea. You have problems enough with fussy eating at home---who wants to battle with the fussy eater when you go out to eat?



Wait! You need not do this. It is possible to manage fussy eaters with my simple and straightforward approach.



Eating-Out Rules for Fussy Eaters:

* Rule 1: You eat healthy, or do not eat at all.



Here is where it all begins. Before walking in, define clearly the type of food that you will order. There will be no negotiations for the fussy eater, no matter what!



The trick here is to try to do this your first few times when there are at least two adults at the table, who are ready to follow the game plan.



* Rule 2: Eat in peace.



Inform the children, even the fussy eaters, that they can enjoy eating out as long as they do not complain, whine, hit, kick, yell, or show tantrums. Even when mom or dad corrects an unhealthy choice, your fussy eater is free to be unhappy, but that no whining or complaining is permitted.



* Rule 3: One Warning Only For Fussy Eater Complaints



The first—and JUST THE FIRST—time the kids are found getting out-of-hand, they will get the FIRST warning. You simply remind them of the rules, and that the second time will mean…


* Rule 4: Eat Out Time Out


Inform the children, that if they If you do not eat peacefully, and without complaints, there will be an ‘Eat Out Time Out.” This means one of you takes the problem children to the car, and sits until there is three minutes of quiet.



Did I really say three minutes? Of quiet? Yes, I did.



Be prepared to take very strong action, and be willing to sit in the car for as long as it takes. If they miss their entire meal, play it very cool and have the other parent bring out mom or dad’s meal to eat on the way home.



Moreover, let the complainers go hungry. This is critical!



On the other hand, if they make it through the three minutes, return to the restaurant.



* Rule 5: Repeat as often as needed.



Your fussy eaters need to understand that you will not give in to their tantrums, whining, and complaining. They usually want to eat unhealthy foods, and believe you will give it.



If you do, you have lost. Both short term and long term.



Instead, stick to the plan. Explain to them that breaking the rules will lead them to the car again and they will remain there until mom and dad finish their meal. Moreover, mom and dad will not pack any food home. Make them realize that mom and dad are serious and you will let them skip the meal.



You may have to repeat this several times to help your fussy eaters realize that you are serious about the rules. Children that are more stubborn require extra trips to the car before they learn.



For parents of fussy eaters…



* Do not make the rules unless you are serious about them.
You have to be serious about the rules before implementing them, or else you weaken your credibility.



* Be steady in your decision.



Whatever be the situation or your stamina level, you have to be steady in following rules. However, do not expect your children to learn immediately or at the first trip of eating out. Teach your fussy eaters from the actual consequences, and not from the threat of consequences. Even if you are too tired to take your child to the car for breaking the rule, you MUST FOLLOW THROUGH. If you skip, then your rules will have no effect.


Do Not Nag, Preach, Remind, And Correct Constantly


Avoid paying attention to your child’s unwanted behavior, or else you will encourage it to grow. When your fussy eater starts showing signs of complaints or whining at the table, simply ignore it and take him or her to the car. Correcting or lecturing will not help.



Notice Your Kids When They Are Behaving Properly


Acknowledge your children with a smile, a nod, or a touch when they are quiet and under control at the table. This encourages the development of healthy behavior, at home and outside.



Remember, all children, and particularly your fussy eaters, learn by experiencing the consequences---not just by hearing the threat or learning a new set of rules. Action will be your best friend, if you are willing to be more action oriented than word or threat oriented.


Learn more on how to deal with fussy eater visit Dr. Cale's Cure Your Picky Eter.

Fussy Eating and Malnutrition

Toddlers and children who become fussy eaters create worries and fears for parents. Unfortunately, these worries have a very real basis in reality. Yet the solution is not to live in fear just because you have a fussy eater on your hands.

Instead, it is important to understand the causes and the solutions to this threatening problem of the fussy eating child.

Why Fussy Eating Is A Real Problem

1. Fussy eating is really ‘preferential’ eating

In order to see the reality of your fussy eater, we first must see that you child has preferences. This is understandable.

But it would be a serious mistake to believe that your should honor your child’s preferences when it comes to healthy choices. Most children choose what is easy, what is sweet and what requires the least effort.

This is often where we get off course, because we let our fears about our children lead us to prepare foods according to their preferences. This is a dangerous situation because…

2. Fussy eaters generally prefer simple carbohydrates (sweeter flavor) and fatty foods.

Today’s children eat more simple carbohydrates than any group of children in history. What are these simple carbohydrates and why are they so bad for your fussy eater?

Many of the simple carbohydrates are natural, complex foods that have been processed into simple forms, such as turning wheat into flour. This also happens when we squeeze the juice out of fruit, and add sugar.

This means that bread, bagels, pizza, donuts, cookies, pasta, cereal, oatmeal, fruit juices, soda, and ice cream are full of simple carbs. Thus most of the preferred foods of the fussy eater have tons of simple carbs in them.

This is not good for your child for a number of complex reasons. But the bottom line is that these foods create a sugar reaction in your child’s body, that ‘trains’ their body to over-react to these types of foods. Because of this over-reaction, their bodies crave these foods more and more.

3. These simple carbohydrate preferences, often found with fussy eaters, increases the risk of childhood obesity.

The craving for more and more simple carbohydrates leads to weight gains in many children. Thus, while putting on pounds, their diet remains very limited and their nutution is poor.

The number of children who are obese doubled in the United States in less than a 15 year period, and much of this is due to feeding into child preferences. But it gets worse if you allow your child to go down this path.

Their chances of ever being able to live a healthy, vibrant and energetic life is very slim. The wide majority of children who are obese in childhood remain obese throughout their adult years.

But it gets worse because…

4. Simple carbohydrate eating increases the risk of diabetes.

Because fussy eating preferences often lead to eating these highly processed, somewhat sweeter foods (simple carbohydrates), your child’s body chemistry is altered by these choices over time. Their bodies react strongly to these foods, and some children are more affected than others.

However, if I suggested to you that the foods you are serving your children are poisonous, but only to 50% of the children who them---would you serve it to your children? I suspect not.

What Is The Solution To Stop Fussy Eating?

The answer is in learning to manage your child’s preferences, so that they learn to eat what’s healthy---not what’s sweet and fattening. If you start early, then this is easier to conquer. The longer you wait, the more difficult change becomes.

And often the answer is not just in learning to prepare different foods. The answer is in learning to have a clear parenting strategy to deal with the drama, the tears, the tantrums and the arguments that occur when you start putting only healthy food on the table.

Without a clear game plan, it is likely that your changes may be short-lived. Consider seeking expert guidance to learn a system that walks you through the changes that will make a difference …and get your fussy eater on the healthy eating path quickly!

To learn more on how to deal with your fussy eater visit Cure Your Picky Eater by Dr. Cale.