Mum shares controversial hack to get picky kids to eat any food

"This is horrible. Why are you even promoting this? Delete it, nobody should even consider this crap as an idea. Would you eat it?"

A recent post in the popular Facebook group Kids Lunch Box Ideas has sparked a heated debate among parents.

With over 681,000 members, the group is a go-to page for creative and healthy food ideas.

However, a recent suggestion for dealing with picky eaters has divided the group, leading to many angry comments.

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The mum's trick for her picky eater

The mum explained her method, saying, "What works wonders with my picky eater son is having him cook with me. When I'm really desperate, I let him choose from the food colouring box which colour he wants to eat today.

"Even blue oatmeal soup gets completely eaten then."

The mum shared a photo of plates with blue and red-dyed pasta and sausages on them alongside the post.

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"Horrible, would you eat that?"

A lot of group members didn't like the idea of using that much food colouring to make meals appealing, even if you have picky eaters. One said, "The amount of dye in that." Another added, "Pumping a kid full of red and blue dye won't possibly backfire..."

And a different user warned, "If you choose to attract your kid to eat this way, please ensure it is natural food colouring. Artificial food dyes have been found to have some nasty effects." 

Another echoed, "It's just chemicals, which are really bad for you. That's why you see a lot of food listed as having no artificial dyes or flavour."

Then this parent offered an alternative perspective: "Artificial dyes, no. However, I did see this post the other day that I thought was cool and could be useful instead, it's examples of natural things you can use as food dye."

Others were more critical, with one person simply stating, "That's pretty cringe", while another was more direct, "This is horrible. Why are you even promoting this? Delete it, nobody should even consider this crap as an idea. Would you eat it?"

But amidst the judgey comments, some parents weren't so critical. One parent defended the post, saying, "She said it works to help her son eat. I cannot be mad at her. If it works, it works. Maybe if he can taste the food, she can take the colour away eventually."

Another parent shared their positive experience, "We use natural dyes, and I actually love the idea! I may offer blue pancakes and green oatmeal!"

And this mum pointed out, "Tell me you've never heard of natural food dyes without telling me."

For information on food dyes see these websites: Food Standards and Better Health.

Originally published as Mum shares controversial hack to get picky kids to eat any food