{"id":2677,"date":"2017-01-26T21:57:16","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T21:57:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daniellebinns.com\/stagingsite\/?p=2677"},"modified":"2017-10-04T12:36:15","modified_gmt":"2017-10-04T16:36:15","slug":"5-reasons-why-kids-picky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daniellebinns.com\/stagingsite\/2017\/01\/5-reasons-why-kids-picky\/","title":{"rendered":"5 reasons why kids are picky eaters (and what to do about it)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear god, why won’t she\u00a0just eat?<\/em><\/p>\n

That’s the question I asked myself daily a few years ago. \u00a0Actually, who’s kidding who. \u00a0I asked it every<\/em>\u00a0stinking\u00a0time I put food in front of my little one. \u00a0She was underweight (major source of stress for me) and had zero interest in food. \u00a0I desperately wanted\u00a0to know the reasons why kids are picky eaters and\u00a0how to fix it.<\/p>\n

The most painful part was watching her eat (or not eat) next to other little kids her age. \u00a0Those\u00a0moms were chatting away, sipping coffee, and smiling while their little ones noshed on a smorgasbord of food.<\/p>\n

No bribing, no trickery or iPads to distract them.<\/p>\n

They just ate.<\/p>\n

However, if those moms looked my<\/em> way they would see an anxious mother, struggling to smile, while begging\u00a0a little girl to have a bite. Just one bite of the meal I\u00a0worked so hard to prepare. \u00a0The comparisons killed me. \u00a0And of course, while watching other kids with envy, that question became even more urgent.<\/p>\n

If I simply knew the reasons why<\/em> kids became picky eaters,\u00a0<\/i>I could find ways to help her. \u00a0And, it would help me get through the mealtime misery.<\/p>\n

I was already a Certified Nutritionist and knew what to feed a smaller child with a limited appetite<\/a>. \u00a0But I lacked what was even more important.<\/p>\n

I needed to know what was driving her picky\u00a0eating,\u00a0so I could determine how to\u00a0approach meals.<\/p>\n

I wanted to be able to sit down at a table and feel 110% confident that I wasn’t ‘messing her up’ by bribing and begging\u00a0her to eat. \u00a0Heck, even I\u00a0have a few lingering food issues from my childhood and I don’t want to be the reason my girls feel the need to eat\u00a0everything on their plate<\/a>. \u00a0Or feel bad for eating a piece of chocolate cake.<\/p>\n

Thus the research began, and I obtained Certifications in children’s feeding while\u00a0digging into the research on\u00a0‘picky eating’. \u00a0It\u00a0was a long process of learning and trying, but it was eye-opening.<\/p>\n

That feeling of not knowing why\u00a0consumed me for too long. \u00a0I was her mom and needed to trust myself at meals. \u00a0I finally did.<\/p>\n

But it all started with understanding the why behind her picky eating behaviours.<\/p>\n

\"Reasons<\/p>\n

5 Reasons Why Kids are Picky<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/h3>\n

They just aren’t hungry. \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It’s as simple as that really. \u00a0I know I expected my daughter to eat more than she needed. \u00a0Sitting next to other kids who were demolishing a bowl of pasta, while Sienna filled up on a cucumber slice didn’t help. But every child’s caloric needs vary depending on a few things including their activity level, growth rate (are they going through a growth spurt?) and metabolism (some burn slower than others).<\/p>\n

Give this a try:<\/strong><\/p>\n