Mom’s budget-friendly guide to getting picky eaters to try new foods

June 16, 2021

Kids Eat in Color

(NEW YORK) — Getting kids to eat a variety of foods is a struggle that even moms who are nutrition experts know well.

“My first son fell off the growth chart starting when he was 6-months-old,” Jennifer Anderson, a registered dietitian and mom of two, told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “I was standing in the pediatrician’s office thinking but I’m a dietitian. How does this happen to a dietitian?”

The experience prompted Anderson to dive into research on kids and nutrition. The result is her Instagram account, Kids Eat In Color, where she gives her more than 1.3 million followers tips to get kids to try new foods.

“You may be feeding your child only fast food. You may be feeding your child only chicken nuggets. Whoever you are, you will find a place where other parents are there to welcome you and to say, ‘Hey, you are doing a great job,'” Anderson said of the community among her social media following.

Anderson is also focused on providing recipes and tips that are budget-friendly for families.

She partnered with a team of experts to create the “Affordable Flavors Meal Plan,” a 30-day plan to help children expand their palates while sticking to a budget of $500 a month or less for a family of four.

“We do not believe that you have to eat poorly on a budget,” said Anderson. “You do have to be careful. You do have to be creative, but the food can still be flavorful. It can be delicious.”

1. Serve children ‘micro portions’

This tip will help reduce food waste and stretch your food budget, according to Anderson.

“Micro portions are when you serve your child a very small amount of food and then let them keep asking for more until they are full,” she said. “Instead of using [a large] spoon, you would actually use something more like [a small] spoon to help your child eat their meals.”

2. Learn how to cook a few basics

Learning how to cook a basic food like chicken can stretch into several meals over the course of a week, according to Anderson.

“You can buy and cook your chicken on the weekend and then you can eat it that day and you can also save the leftovers for the week,” she said. “You took one purchase and turned into a resource for the entire week.”

3. Don’t always splurge on organic foods

Knowing when it’s okay to not choose organic foods can help you get more bang for your buck, according to Anderson.

“Organic grown foods and conventionally grown foods look exactly the same when you cut them open, except that conventionally grown foods are a lot less expensive,” she said. “And that’s going to help your family get more variety and get more food for your dollar.”