Food for the picky child

[notdrinkingthekoolaid]

(03-05-2012 09:09 AM)laurat99 Wrote:  

(03-05-2012 07:31 AM)Darrell Wrote:  Definitely trying not to make a big deal out of it. I just worry about her.

Easier said than done, I know. I'm grateful that I have a houseful of food that my kid can turn up his nose to, instead of not having anything to feed him. I'm usually not so grateful at dinner time, when he's whining about it, though.

I'm right there with you on all of this! I'm so glad there is plenty of food, but I worry when he seems to eat nothing.

[Sharon]

Kraft has a macaroni & cheese with cauliflower in the pasta.

My 4 year old goes to bed hungry rather than eat green beans, roast pork &/or stuffing. He won't starve to death overnight, and he really appreciates his Froot Loops in the morning. (altho he did try a speck of stuffing last time. I think he's weakening.)

[lucrezaborgia]

What about veggies does the kid dislike? The taste? Texture? Temperature? Would she eat a veggie pizza?

Do you require her to try what is in front of her? Are you scared of letting her go a night or two without a meal because it's not the chicken nuggets type? Is this really the best time in your life for this fight?

[lucrezaborgia]

Oh...I forgot to mention my super duper secret weapon!

Bacon!!! Toss a strip of bacon in with the veggies and saute.

[WifeofBill]

My kids used to be picky, but not so much anymore. My oldest still hates fruit, so smoothies are good for him. What has helped my kids become less picky is having them help prep the food, smelling the fresh herbs and spices, assisting or watching as the food cooks. Another thing that helped is having someone else introduce food. My step mom has introduced quite a few things to them that when I had tried before they turned their noses up at. Last night my daughter spent the night at a friends house and ate beef stew. She would never eat that here. She loved it, even the mushrooms. Also, Sweet Tomatos (Soupplantation), is a great place to have them sample new foods. Mine discovered they love raw spinach, butternut squash, and baked potatoes.

Don't stress too much over it. Try not to make it a battle. Food is something she can control, her life has been a tad crazy with a new baby and a move. She'll come around

[Mommy2Kids]

My daughter won't eat breakfast at our house. I have bought all kinds of crap for her (poptarts, breakfast bars, strawberry Quik, etc.) But she walks across the yard (when I let her) and eats anything her grandparents fix for her. She loves juice, so I get her the V8 fruit juice w/the veggies in it. I think she's trying to get attention through food the way she thinks her diabetic brother does.

Jessica Seinfeld wrote a cookbook about adding vegetable puree into foods. I love the idea. Haven't bought the book.

[myotch]

Fight the battles you stand a chance of winning. Food is a losing battle with young kids, and can be self-defeating.

Our son was picky. Picky. Still is, and he's 17. He sniffs all his food before he eats.

The best advice our doctor gave us is....don't fight the battle and let the kid eat what he or she wants. Their little, new bodies are incredibly efficient at sucking out every nutrient available in the food they choose to eat.

Within reason, of course. The nutritionist obviously wasn't a dentist, and an all-candy diet was out of the question.

But this advice caused a lot of peace where we were on the road to violence (I'm half-kidding).

So, the ground rules were a calm explanation that food tastes change over time, and once a month, he's simply going to try a food he thinks he doesn't like. We have that talk still every year.

It's natural to be concerned that the kid has a chicken nugget diet. But all kids like *some* type of fruit, and can stomach at least salad for a green.

One of the best things that ever happened to us was the year we had the garden. My son was 7. He was involved in the planting, the watering, and the harvesting. It was helpful to him to see where the food came from. Tomatoes, green beans, squash, lettuce, cucumbers, and jalapeños all became part and parcel of meals he was willing to eat.

[Sharon]

oh, my 4 year old will eat the crispy kind of dried apples. (There's a Mickey Mouse brand, and that's why he was even willing to try them.)

[JoeR]

A question for parents with picky eater children:

When did you determine that your child was a picky eater? I have a 9 month-old who eats anything we give him. We make all his baby food, except the meats which come from a jar. We have tried about every vegetable from the frozen foods section, and several fresh fruits, and he will eat all of it. Did your picky eaters eat better as infants, or were they picky from the beginning? I just don't what to expect as far as how my kid's tastes for food will evolve over time.

[laurat99]

(03-06-2012 10:22 AM)JoeR Wrote:  A question for parents with picky eater children:

When did you determine that your child was a picky eater? I have a 9 month-old who eats anything we give him. We make all his baby food, except the meats which come from a jar. We have tried about every vegetable from the frozen foods section, and several fresh fruits, and he will eat all of it. Did your picky eaters eat better as infants, or were they picky from the beginning? I just don't what to expect as far as how my kid's tastes for food will evolve over time.

My son ate nearly everything I put in front of him as an infant, except baby food meat (and that's just gross stuff). Now, he is as particular as you can get. He started refusing fruits and veg as a toddler. Food is one area where kids feel like they can have some sort of control, so they don't hesitate to use it. Keep offering your son as wide a diet as you have, and hopefully he won't be a picky eater.