What nutritionists think about Chrissy Teigen's hack for getting her picky daughter to eat more food

Ask any parent of a picky eater what mealtime in their house is like, and you’ll get a weary sigh in response. Apparently Chrissy Teigen is familiar with the struggle — and she’s come up with a creative solution for it.

“I always came from the mindset of ‘eat what we serve or go to bed hungry,’ but I’m officially owned by my toddler,” Teigen tweeted. Referring to Luna, her daughter, Teigen added, “Struggling to make a *dinner* luna likes aside from spaghetti and fish sticks…any ideas welcome.” After soliciting ideas, Teigen shared on Twitter Monday that she made a laminated “menu” for her daughter, to try to encourage her to eat more food.

“I made a restaurant for my 2 and a half year old,” she captioned a video that showed her flipping through the binder. “Trying to get Luna to eat by being psychotic,” she wrote over it. Each item, which includes dishes like grilled cheese with a side of berries, cheese quesadilla, and crispy fish sticks, has a price under it. (Teigen later said in the comments that she feels like her daughter will be more likely to eat her food if she pays for it … with play money.)

This is getting mixed reactions in the comments. While many praise the idea as creative and fun, others say it gives children too much control. Experts are also divided on the concept.

Jenny Friedman, a registered dietitian who works with children, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the idea is “really fun,” adding, “I love that she’s making eating fun and giving her daughter some control.”

Friedman says that kids tend to become picky eaters when they start to seek independence. “One of the things they have control over is their food,” she says. “The menu puts the children in the driver’s seat to be able to say ‘I’m making my own decisions.’” But, she says, “control is a double-edged sword.” Teigen has a lot of options on her menus, which can be “overwhelming” for kids, Friedman says.

“It’s a cute idea, but kids shouldn’t be offered more than two choices at a time,” Gina Posner, MD, a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif., tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “If they have a whole slew of things to choose from, they start becoming more picky versus less.”

Friedman says she’s also concerned that using this menu at every meal is “catering to the child” and that it can limit their palate. “Mealtime should provide lots of opportunities to try new things,” she adds.

Whether you want to try an idea like this “depends on if you want to be a slave to your children,” Posner says. If you like the idea, she recommends modifying it by only offering two choices and doing it on a Friday or Saturday night as a fun treat rather than having this be the option at every meal.

“It’s tough, I get it. Kids will say ‘I’m not going to eat this’ and then they might go on a hunger strike depending on how stubborn they are,” Posner says. If your child is otherwise healthy and neurotypical (meaning they don’t have a condition like autism), “eventually they will break down,” she says.

Posner recommends that parents be “firm” about mealtimes and lead by example. “You have to eat your vegetables too,” she says. “They’re healthy for everyone.”

Ultimately this one is up to you as a parent. “It’s important to teach your kids that you are not a short order cook, and if you have more than one kid, this is not feasible,” Friedman says. “But adding something fun and creative into mealtimes is a great concept.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Chrissy Teigen reveals her son will have to wear a corrective helmet

• Internet slams mommy blogger for saying her 6-year-old’s photos ‘never got as many likes’ as his siblings

• Chrissy Teigen had the best response to troll who tried to mom-shame her about breastfeeding

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