Tips for Parenting Picky Eaters at the Holidays

This is a sponsored post about picky eaters written by me on behalf of NABISCO Cookies and Crackers for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

My kids are not the most adventurous eaters. {Tell me I am not alone in this.}

Eating at other people’s homes can sometimes be challenging because of their picky habits. This has been on my mind a lot lately because we have been doing a lot of eating in new situations with our kids lately. For instance, this past weekend we had two birthday parties and this week are celebrating “Friendsgiving” with our close friends, the Larsons. If you have picky eaters, here are a few tips I have learned:

• Manage your kids’ expectations: Let them know what food will be served and what your expectations are.
• Teach respect: Talk with your child about the importance of being respectful to the person who graciously made the meal, even if they don’t love the food. This conversation might happen before you go to someone’s home, or while you are there. Reminding your child that it is never appropriate to use the words gross, disgusting, etc. because that can hurt the cook’s feelings.
• Encourage them to”try one bite”: Eating at someone else’s home can be an awesome opportunity to encourage your children to try new things. Sometimes when they are in someone else’s home, they are a bit more flexible with what they will – and won’t – eat.
• Bring a dish to pass: I have learned that if we can bring a dish to pass, that usually helps because I bring something the kids will like. It’s a win-win — I help the host and my kids will eat.
• Don’t stress: If your child(ren) don’t eat, it’s not the end of the world. They won’t starve from not eating one meal. Be honest with the host and move on. The meal can’t be dictated by the child.

Keeping these things in mind, I was invited by Nabisco to try out one of their new holiday recipes. I decided to make their Toffee Apple Cheesecake Bars, which I knew were something my kids would like.

The recipe is very straightforward and easy to make. It also didn’t require a lot of ingredients, which I appreciated. I was able to get it whipped up in about 35 minutes Saturday morning.

After I made it, we all had to try the bars.

The verdict? They were delicious and kid-friendly – a total win!

We took the remaining bars to a birthday party. (I couldn’t be trusted with them in the house!) They were a hit with the kids and adults. I think they would be great to make as a snack or dessert for Thanksgiving this weekend.

For more delicious holiday recipes from Nabisco + some money-saving Publix coupons head over to NabiscoPartyPlanner.com. I printed off multiple recipes that I can’t wait to make for the holidays — and I know my kids will love them too.

What are your tips for navigating picky eaters, particularly when you are going to someone else’s home? Any favorite recipes you like to share?

NABISCO Party Planner