Switch to हिंदी

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

हिंदी
  • Health A-Z
  • Home Remedies
  • Diseases
    • Type 1 Diabetes
    • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Cancer
    • Heart Attack
    • Pneumonia
    • Diseases A-Z
  • Diet & Fitness
    • Weight Management
    • Exercise & Body Building
    • Diet & Recipes
    • Yoga
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Pregnancy
    • Conceiving
    • Infertility
    • Labour & Delivery
    • Pregnancy week-by-week
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby Names
  • Beauty
    • Skin
    • Hair
    • Grooming
  • Photos
  • Videos
Home / Parenting / Exclusive interview — Chef Rakhee Vaswani’s tips to deal with picky eaters

Exclusive interview — Chef Rakhee Vaswani’s tips to deal with picky eaters

If you are one of those parents whose kids 'just refuses to eat', this article is exactly what you need.

By: Naz Haider   | | Updated: December 14, 2015 11:13 am
Tags: Child nutrition  Children's health  Healthy eating  
Parenting - picky eater THS

While most of us grew up with homemade delicacies and a limited exposure to different cuisines, kids nowadays have tasted food from all over the world. The job of parent trying to get their kids interested in ‘ghar ka khana’ or homemade food gets tougher and tougher because healthy food and young taste buds share a hate-hate relationship. How do you, then, deal with a picky eater? Is your child a picky eater? Read this now. Also Read - Mobile use can make your kid less creative and more analytical

Also Read - Microgreens: The new superfood that you need to include in your diet ASAP



Chef Rakhee Vaswani of Palate Culinary Studio, a mother of two, recently launched her book, Picky Eaters, which has a wide range of recipes, from different cuisines, to make every meal stand out and appeal to kids. Needless to say, each meal has a healthy twist sneaked in cleverly. She shares a few tips on dealing with picky eaters and how you can give your kids healthy food without them turning up their noses. Here are 4 tips to help you feed a fussy eater. Also Read - Genes linked to common brain disorder, Chiari 1 malformation, identified

‘Patience is the key,’ she says, ‘Do not expect your kids to simply gulp down steamed broccoli and french beans. You have to understand their palate, what they like, the tastes and textures they prefer and create dishes likewise. Another important thing is to not give up. If you want your kid to eat healthy, you need to plan the meals and balance the nutrition.’ Here are 4 things you are doing wrong when feeding your fussy eater.

Baked stuffed potatoes by Chef Rakhee

Here are her top five tips to inculcate the habit of healthy eating:

1. Take them grocery shopping: Young kids like when their opinions are respected, and they also like to learn new things. Take your little one grocery shopping and ask him what ingredients he would like to pick. When you pick up a vegetable or fruit, explain to him its nutritional value and how it would benefit your health. Involve him in the process to make him understand what diet, especially healthy diet, means.

2. Assign them tasks while cooking: Don’t children take great pride in things they create? So why not let them create dishes they would like to eat? Start when your child is five years old and assign her tasks like mixing dry ingredients, whisking eggs or simply piping cream on a cupcake. Assign tasks as per their age, appreciate and encourage their efforts.

3. Set the right example: ‘A few years ago, I started eating multigrain rotis for dinner. Eventually, my kids got interested and now we eat multigrain rotis on one of the weekday dinners as a family,’ says Rakhee. Kids learn from parents, and if you happily eat vegetables and fruits, your kids will surely follow suit.

4. Keep it healthy, not boring: Do not confuse the child’s nutritional requirement with yours. A child needs the carbs, fats and even sugar because they burn a lot of energy. If you are worried that your child is eating way too much carbs and sugar, give them a way to burn it out by sending them to play a sport or to learn dance or to practice swimming. Let them indulge in every kind of food, as it is important for them to explore and figure out what they prefer to eat.

5. Keep it basic and fresh: Why spend on exotic ingredients when you can make delicious foods with basic ingredients from your kitchen? Also, instead of opting for store-bought sauces and ready-to-eat food packets (no matter how healthy it claims it is), try to make everything at home. The humble dalia is a great substitute for quinoa, and you can substitute other exotic ingredients likewise. If you want the authentic taste, make sure the ingredients you invest in are as healthy as possible. Going organic is a great idea too.

Add a dash of creativity when cooking for your picky eater and you will be surprised! You can also try these 11 ways to help your child eat better.

Have you tried this muesli bar recipe by Chef Rakhee? Do share your experience in the comments.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published : December 10, 2015 6:09 pm | Updated:December 14, 2015 11:13 am
Read Disclaimer

Coconut milk to be promoted as the next best to breast milk

Coconut milk to be promoted as the next best to breast milk

3 reasons why your child is not sleeping tonight!

3 reasons why your child is not sleeping tonight!

Please Wait. Article Loading ....

Coronavirus Updates

Coronavirus Updates

Stay Informed, Be Safe

  • This monoclonal antibody 'cocktail' may block COVID variants: Study
  • 85-year-old Dalai Lama gets first dose of COVID vaccine
  • Maharashtra records over 10,000 new coronavirus cases, highest since October
  • 101-year-old woman receives first dose of COVID-19 vaccine jab in Delhi
  • COVID-19 vaccine: Avoid taking these medicines before getting the jab

Health Calculators

BMI Calculator
bmi Calculator
Ideal Body Weight
ideal body weight
Daily Calorie Intake
Daily calorie intake
Calories Burned
calories burned

Related Stories

Mobile use can make your kid less creative and more analytical

Mobile use can make your kid less creative and more analytical

Microgreens: The new superfood that you need to include in your diet ASAP

Microgreens: The new superfood that you need to include in your diet ASAP

Genes linked to common brain disorder, Chiari 1 malformation, identified

Genes linked to common brain disorder, Chiari 1 malformation, identified

Avoid eating too many dry fruits: It can give you asthma, cramps and more

Avoid eating too many dry fruits: It can give you asthma, cramps and more

5 Tips to work your way out of a food rut

5 Tips to work your way out of a food rut

Health News in Hindi

कोरोना वैक्सीन लगवाने के बाद बुखार, दर्द और गले में खराश? पिएं ये चीज और पाएं झट से आराम

Walking mistakes: चलते हुए इन 4 कारणों से होता है कूल्हे में दर्द, दर्द होने पर करें ये काम

कोल्ड प्रेस्ड (cold pressed) तेल क्या होता? खाना पकाने के लिए दूसरे तेल से कितना फायदेमंद है ये तेल

Side Effects of Chicken: इंफर्टिलिटी का कारण बन सकता है चिकन का अधिक सेवन, इन अंगों को भी पहुंचाता है नुकसान

Sunflower Seeds Side Effects: सूरजमुखी के बीजों का अधिक सेवन किडनी को पहुंचाता है नुकसान, हो जाएंगी ये 6 समस्याएं

Read All

Recent Posts

  • Phase 3 trial in India shows arthritis drug can reduce death risk in severe COVID patients
  • Wildfire smoke several times more harmful to human health than car exhaust: Experts
  • India vaccinates 11.6L people against COVID-19 on Saturday, highest single-day vaccination
  • Beware! Visual impairment may put you at higher risk of death
  • This monoclonal antibody ‘cocktail’ may block COVID variants: Study

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com
+91 – 22 – 6697 1234
Landline Phone number 91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

Useful Links

  • Weight Loss
  • Keto Diet Tips
  • Skin Care Tips
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Ashwagandha
  • Cancer
  • Pneumonia
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dengue
  • Typhoid
  • Tuberculosis
  • Chickenpox
  • Chikungunya
  • Depression
  • Hepatitis
  • Diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Swine Flu
  • Baby Names
  • Cough and cold
  • Heart Attack
  • Breast Cancer
  • Ebola Virus
  • Dengue
  • Malaria
  • International Yoga Day
  • Hypotension
  • Heart Failure
  • Asthma
  • Brain Tumour
  • Celebrity Fitness
  • Goitre
  • HIV/AIDS

We respect your privacy

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Author Profiles

Copyright © 2021 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved.