Help with Getting 9 Year Old Boy to Try New Foods

Peggy,

I hope you find the answer, and then share it with me! :)

My son doesn't eat the wide variety I wish he did, but he gets a little bit better, slowly. He eats chicken, but no other meat and no fish. He eats carrots...that's it for the veggies. He eats a few fruit...grapefruit (!), oranges, apples, grapes. He'll try a few other things. He LOVES soup, so whenever I make soup, I try to put chicken in it, just to add more protein.

I am happy he eats "as much" as he does. When he was younger, he ate about 3 things.

He eats pasta, but not lasagna, even dairy. He won't eat pasta with veggies in it. He eats cheese as well.

But, he feels like he's adding to his menu. Whenever I make soup, I drain the broth and then add back in things he'll eat. Oneday he tried small parsley that had been left in, and now he asks for parsley in his soup. He also loves garlic and asks for that in his soup (and other things), so I feel like he's adding a little.

The pedatrician is OK with what he eats, as long as he is getting enough of everything...enough fruit/veggies a day, etc.

My kids never can have dessert unless they have a fruit or veggie first. My son loves dessert (of course).

I will check back here to see the advice you receive, and to see if it will help me, too! :)

Good luck!

try allowing him to help prepare foods and make recipes. buy some of those cheap children's recipe books or books with easy dinners. when they see that they get to have a say and help make it, they will be more apt to try it. allow him to grocery shop with you to pick some good foods (as hard as that is taking them to the store). this worked for my children and step-children many times over the years. if you are concerned about the bread and carb amounts he is eating, limit what you have (or he sees) in the house of those items...afterall, if they are not there, he cant choose them. after raising 4, children do go through food phases (sometimes LONG ones) where they only like some things. my daughter went through a phase where all she wanted was chicken nuggets and hot dogs. my son, well he wanted pizza and ketchup bread (yeah, ketchup bread) and another hated everything except if she could put ranch dressing on it. they are now 17, 16 15 and 6 and healthy and well and now will eat different things (the 6 year old will try them but may not like them...YET).lol. they will start trying new things as they age also from my experience. just keep giving new and different things and they will eventually surprise you as they will not allow themselves to starve. don't stress yourself out on this...as long as he is not overweight or sick and as long as you are giving him healthy choices throughout the day, he will be ok.

Do you have your son help you prepare dinner? Maybe if he has a dedicated interest in what is being made, he might be more inclined to eat it.

I am merely speculating because my daughter is still far away from you son as far as age goes.

Have him buy school lunch. My kids try things on the menu due to no choice, they hungry and in front of friends.

Hmmmm....tricky! I am lucky, in that my 5 year old son has only O. thing he refuses to "eat" and that is Big Red Gum. He loves all veggies, fruits, shrimp, ANYTHING! Maybe you can disguise things in other things? I have, on occasion, pureed green peppers and put them IN the meat for stuffed peppers instead of stuffing them. With summer coming, how about corn-on-the-cob, watermelon? Pepperoni bread? Does he like tacos? My son always likes things he can "assemble" himself. Chicken salad? Shish kebobs made with chicken and veggies? Could you mix some vegetables in with pasta for a pasta primavera? Does he like soups? Didn't Jerry Seinfeld's wife write a cookbook that focuses on getting these better foods into the kids without them realizing it? Can't remember it's name though. Good luck to you (and him!).