Handling a Picky Eater with Shawn Johnson & Beam Kids

Dealing with a kid who’s a picky eater can feel like a never-ending challenge. One day, they love broccoli, and the next, it’s the enemy. 

It’s normal to feel frustrated when healthy meals meet rejection and the pressure to ensure proper nutrition grows. As a caregiver, you may worry about how to balance your kids’ health needs with their food preferences.

Shawn Johnson, a well-known athlete and parent, has experienced these struggles, too. That’s why she teamed up with Beam to create Beam Kids Green Superpowder—an easy way to add nutritional support in a kid-friendly chocolate milk flavor. This supplement is a helpful option for kids who shy away from veggies, but it's important to remember that relying solely on supplements won’t solve the problem in the long run. True success comes from creating an environment where your child feels open to exploring new foods without pressure.

Common Causes of Picky Eating

Picky eating doesn’t just happen for no reason. It’s one of those eating behaviors often shaped by a combination of biological traits, learned behaviors, and life experiences. Early feeding practices, family dynamics, and even genetics all play a role in how a child develops their relationship with food. 

Genetic and Environmental Factors

Genetics: Some children are genetically predisposed to find certain tastes, like bitterness, more intense. This can explain why one child may refuse broccoli while another enjoys it. Sensitivity to texture can also be influenced by biology. Gritty, slimy, tough, or lumpy foods might automatically be rejected.

Medical History: Past experiences, such as reflux or swallowing difficulties, can shape food aversions. If a child associates certain foods with discomfort, those foods may continue to be avoided.

Role Modeling: Children are likelier to try new foods if they see their parents and siblings doing the same. When adults approach meals with curiosity and openness, it encourages children to do the same.

Social and Emotional Influences

Family and Peer Dynamics: If a sibling often refuses certain foods, younger children may follow suit. Negative comments like “You always hated peas” can reinforce a child’s self-image as a picky eater, making them less likely to try new things. Avoiding these labels and offering praise for small steps can spark curiosity rather than resistance.

Emotions and Past Experiences: Extremely picky eaters often have aversions to foods that remind them of past negative experiences, like choking incidents or strong flavors. Patience and creativity can help shift these emotions. Many parents find success with storytelling, turning mealtime into an adventure. Others like to involve their children in small cooking tasks to make them feel more connected to the process.

Encouraging Exploration: By eliminating shame and introducing foods in a fun, low-pressure way, children are more likely to embrace new flavors. The goal is to foster an environment where exploration feels natural, not forced.

The Role of Mealtime Environment

Calm and Focused Atmosphere: A peaceful mealtime setting encourages children to be present and engaged with their food. Loud distractions or tense conversations can make it harder for them to focus on their meal. Keeping the environment calm and centered helps children notice and enjoy the flavors and textures of their food.

Family-Style Meals: Serving food family-style—where everyone takes from the same dishes—gives children a sense of control over their meal. This method can reduce anxiety and make the experience feel more relaxed.

Routine and Familiarity: Small rituals before meals, such as washing hands or doing a short breathing exercise, can help children transition into mealtime more smoothly. Including familiar foods alongside new dishes can also ease anxieties, offering a safe fallback if a new food doesn’t go over well.

Do’s and Don’ts for Feeding a Picky Eater

Feeding a picky eater requires patience, understanding, and a supportive approach. It’s important to avoid forceful methods that might create resistance and instead focus on creating an environment where children feel comfortable exploring new foods at their own pace. Below are some practical strategies to make mealtimes smoother and encourage healthier eating habits.

Do: Encourage a Positive Mealtime Atmosphere

Creating a calm and relaxed mealtime environment is key. When meals are low-stress, children are more likely to view food as an enjoyable experience rather than something to resist. 

Keeping the atmosphere light—perhaps some soft music or casual conversation about the day—can help. 

Leading by example is equally important; when children see trusted adults trying new foods and discussing their flavors, they’re often more open to doing the same. Giving children small responsibilities, such as setting the table or arranging napkins, can boost their sense of ownership and involvement. 

Complimenting their efforts or using light humor can enhance the experience, making meals fun and helping them slowly overcome picky eating.

Don’t: Force or Bribe Your Child to Eat

Avoid using rewards as a way to encourage eating, such as telling a child they must finish their vegetables to earn dessert. This tactic can create negative associations with food and may cause children to view eating as a transaction rather than an enjoyable and nourishing activity. 

Instead of pushing children to eat, offer food with a gentle suggestion like, “This food is here if you want to try some.” Giving them the freedom to decide when they’re full helps children develop a healthy relationship with their body’s hunger signals. 

This trust in their ability to listen to their own cues will make mealtimes more peaceful and foster better long-term eating habits.

Do: Offer a Variety of Foods Regularly

Introducing a variety of foods at each meal is a great way to encourage children to explore new tastes and textures. Serve a range of fruits, vegetables, grains, or proteins alongside familiar favorites. Placing a small sample of a new food near something the child already enjoys can reduce anxiety and spark curiosity instead. 

Over time, consistently offering different foods in a calm and welcoming environment can help children become more accepting of new items. The key is to create a mealtime experience where new foods aren’t forced but are simply part of the routine, allowing children to feel comfortable trying something different.

Don’t: Give Up on a New Food Too Quickly

Children's eating behaviors may not always make sense. It’s common for them to need multiple exposures before they accept and learn to enjoy a new food. If a child rejects something on the first try, don’t assume they’ll never like it. Instead, offer the same food again at another meal, but perhaps in a different form—mashed, roasted, or mixed with a familiar sauce they already love. 

Even if they don’t eat the food immediately, allow them to observe, touch, or smell it. Over time, repeated, non-pressured exposure can help children become more familiar with the food, reducing any initial resistance. The goal is to make the food feel less intimidating and more part of their regular mealtime experience.

Practical Tips to Introduce New Foods

With creativity, patience, and consistency, you can gradually expand your child's palate while still enjoying mealtimes. Here are some practical tips to help foster a more adventurous attitude toward food in a way that feels natural and stress-free.

Start with No-Pressure Meals

One effective way to introduce new foods is by presenting them without any pressure. Place small portions of unfamiliar items on the plate and avoid forcing a bite. Instead, use calm, encouraging language like, “Taste it if you’d like.” 

Studies have shown that children are more likely to try new foods when they feel no one is watching them closely. This approach creates a low-stress environment where children can build curiosity and explore new flavors at their own pace.

Even if your child simply touches or smells the new food, it’s a step in the right direction. The key is to keep mealtimes enjoyable rather than turning them into a battleground. Children are more likely to approach new foods confidently when they don’t feel pressured. Over time, they may surprise you by reaching for something they once avoided.

Use Fun Food Activities

Getting children involved in food preparation can excite them to try new foods. 

Simple tasks, like rinsing vegetables, kneading dough, or sprinkling cheese on a casserole, can make kids feel more invested in the process. When they help prepare the meal, they’re more likely to be curious about tasting it. For example, a child who cuts strawberries might be more eager to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Beyond the kitchen, fun food activities like arts and crafts or gardening projects can further spark interest. Planting herbs in a window box or creating fun food art can connect children to growing and enjoying food in a playful way. These activities shift the focus from resistance to excitement, helping to build a positive association with trying new foods.

Helpful and Healthful Supplements

With some picky eaters, it can feel like a struggle to get them to eat the vegetables and fruits needed for proper nutrition. That’s where a supplement like Beam Kids can come in handy. 

This formula, developed with pediatricians and health experts, provides over 40 essential nutrients that support growth, digestion, and immunity. The supplement is packed with nutrition but tastes like chocolate milk, so even the pickiest of eaters will gulp it down.

While it’s not meant to replace fresh produce, Beam’s green superpowder for kids can serve as a helpful bridge to ensure your child is getting the vitamins and minerals they need. The powder can easily be mixed into milk or smoothies, offering a familiar and non-intimidating way to help your child stay healthy while you’re navigating their food preferences.

Set a Mealtime Routine

Children thrive on structure, and mealtime routines are no exception. Having regular meal times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner can help children feel more comfortable and less anxious about food. 

A set routine around family meals can reduce the chances of random snacking and ensures they arrive at the table ready to eat with a healthy appetite. If snack times are structured as well, it can help children manage their hunger and be more open to trying new foods at mealtimes.

Consistency also eases stress for the whole family. Knowing when mealtimes will occur helps avoid last-minute rushes or stressful moments around food. It’s also helpful to include a variety of foods with each meal, incorporating new options regularly. Over time, a consistent routine combined with different foods will encourage your child to broaden their food choices while respecting their natural hunger cues.

How Shawn Johnson and Beam Kids Help Picky Eaters

Getting picky eaters to enjoy their veggies can be a daily struggle, but Beam and Shawn Johnsons are here to help! Beam Kids is specially crafted to provide the foundational nutrition children need. This all-in-one formula was developed with pediatricians to ensure quality and taste.

Here’s what makes Beam Kids a game-changer:

• Greens: A variety of essential vegetables to fill common nutrient gaps.
• Probiotics + Prebiotics: To support a healthy and balanced digestive system.
• Vitamins and Minerals: A carefully selected blend to promote growth, immunity, and overall health.

And the best part? This kid's green superpowder has a rich Chocolate Milk flavor that even the pickiest eaters will love. With Beam Kids, daily nutrition becomes something your child will actually look forward to!

Small Steps to Big Changes in Your Child’s Nutrition Journey

Dealing with a picky eater can feel like a constant cycle of rejection and uncertainty. A single refusal at the dinner table can leave parents wondering if their child's diet gives them the nutrition needed to thrive. 

But change is possible with calm, consistent efforts. By creating a supportive environment, offering variety without pressure, and incorporating mealtime into a predictable routine, caregivers can ease tension and help children open up to new foods.

Beam Kids Green Superpowder can be a helpful addition to your meal and snack rotation to ensure proper nutrition while navigating picky eating habits. Paired with a patient mindset, frequent exposure to new foods, and professional guidance, these steps can help create a healthier relationship with food.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What is a picky eater?

A picky eater is a person who prefers a limited range of foods, often rejecting both familiar and new dishes. This behavior can develop early on and may be related to texture, flavor aversions, or reluctance to try new things.

What causes someone to be a picky eater?

Picky eating can be influenced by genetics, sensory sensitivities, early feeding experiences, and even social factors. Some children develop strong food aversions due to negative experiences, while others may have learned patterns from the adults or peers around them. Each child's situation is unique.

Is being a picky eater ADHD?

Not all picky eaters have ADHD, but children with attention-related challenges may be more likely to have selective eating habits. Heightened sensitivity to textures or sensory factors can contribute to this behavior. If there are additional signs, such as restlessness or difficulty focusing, it may be helpful to consult a professional for further evaluation.

How do you fix picky eaters?

Addressing picky eating often involves a combination of gradual exposure to new foods, stress-free meals, and repeated opportunities to try different flavors. In some cases, pediatrician-approved supplements like Beam Kids can provide additional nutritional support. Consistency, calm encouragement, and occasional professional guidance can help turn picky eating around over time.

Who is Beam Kids for?

Beam Kids is designed for children ages 3 and up, providing essential vitamins, minerals, greens, prebiotics, and probiotics to support their growth and development.