Menu Choices-Restaurant Tips

Once you sit down, take some extra time and look through the menu with your child. Talk about what different food options there are, and don’t be afraid to stray away from the kids’ menu. Let your kids pick out the food they want, and you can help add an extra choice in as well, so that they can continue to be exposed to a variety of foods.

If your child picks a grilled cheese, that’s great! You can follow up with, “I love that you picked a grilled cheese, now can you pick a fruit or vegetable to go with that? If they are having trouble choosing you can always help with giving choices: “Would you like broccoli, carrots, or apples to go with that?”

Even if they don’t eat the choice that they pick, just having them order it and having it on their plate is exposure. We know the more exposures a child has to a food, the more likely that they will eventually be willing to try it!