Tips for Picky Eaters on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving can be a wonderful, yet overwhelming and challenging experience for picky or selective eaters, given its large spread of foods with varying textures, flavors, and colors. If you are going to have a picky eater or someone who has specific food preferences at your table on Thanksgiving, here are some helpful, sensory-based tips to make the meal more enjoyable for everyone:
Offer plain side dishes: While casserole-style dishes are typically the quintessential sides of the Thanksgiving meal, they pose greater challenges for picky eaters due to the mixing of several different textures and flavors within one bite. Offering plain side dishes is a good place to provide more variety and simpler options. You can serve plain vegetables, such as carrots, peas, corn, or green beans, roasted vegetables and potatoes, or plain grain/starch dishes, such as rice, quinoa, or couscous.
Adjust and/or provide varying textures: Many picky eaters are sensitive to certain food textures and mixed textures, like mushy foods, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, or vegetable casseroles, or overly crunchy foods, including roasted vegetables. To accommodate these preferences, try to offer foods with varying yet consistent textures. For example, if you are making mashed potatoes try to make sure that they’re smooth and creamy, without lumps or skin; you can then make roasted sweet or gold/russet potatoes to provide a more crunchy textured option.
Include comfort food staples: Offering comfort or preferred foods alongside the more traditional Thanksgiving dishes can help picky eaters feel more comfortable at the table. This can be something familiar that the picky eater enjoys, such as plain macaroni and cheese, buttered noodles, fruit salad, plain vegetables, or dinner rolls.
Provide color and contrast: Some picky eaters are particularly sensitive to the look or color of foods and many typical Thanksgiving foods share similar colors and characteristics (i.e., beige or brown in color, mushy/soft, lumpy/clumpy). Offering a variety of colors on the plate can make the meal more visually appealing and less intimidating. Try to have a balance of vibrant vegetables, such as carrots, peas, or corn, alongside neutral-toned foods like turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.
Create a relaxed environment: For some picky eaters, the social pressure or the unfamiliarity of the holiday meal can make eating more difficult. Creating a calm, low-pressure environment where they feel comfortable, safe, and encouraged to try new foods can make all the difference. If they don’t eat much or prefer to stick to familiar foods, that’s okay!
Involvement in the cooking process: If possible, involve the picky or selective eater in the preparation of the meal. This can help them feel more comfortable with the foods that are being served and give them a sense of control over what they’re eating. It can also be a great opportunity for them to explore and try new foods, flavors, or textures prior to the meal.
Provide sensory breaks: For those who may feel overwhelmed by the smells, sights, sounds, and overall bustle of the Thanksgiving meal, it’s helpful to take sensory breaks. Encourage them to step away from the table if it feels too intense or noisy or allow them to sit at a quieter spot away from too much sensory input.
By keeping things simple, offering flexibility, and accommodating individual preferences, you can make Thanksgiving a more enjoyable experience for picky eaters while still maintaining the festive spirit of the holiday.
To learn more about how our occupational therapist, Jessie, can help your family, schedule a call with us! To find out more about sensory preferences and needs, check out some of our other blog posts–What is a Sensory Diet? And Let’s Talk about Sensory!
