Hello all-
My son just turned 3 and will not really try any new foods. If he even suspects there is a vegetable in something, he will not eat it. When we eat dinner, my husband and I will put something new on his plate and tell him to try it. He will put it on his tongue and then put it back on our plates. Does anyone have ideas to get a 3 y.o. to at least try new foods (actually put it in his mouth and chew it!) Thanks!
Thank you so much for all of your advice! I think we'll just have to keep putting it on his plate and hope that one of these days, he'll eat it! I just received my copy of The Sneaky Chef and I am eager to see if it works. Thanks!
I know it sounds wierd.. Has he helped you make dinner? My son doesn't eat certain things but when he helps me make the meal he will eat it cause he helped.
Hi A., I was a Preschool teacher for over 15 yrs. and my experience is to just give them what they like until he gets sick of it and wants to try something else. I know, it's weird. I totally a stage I swear. I had parents of 3 yr. olds so frusterated just like you and their child eventually got over it and started to try new things when they were a little older. As adults we can't understand it because of the way we eat. Try to just go with it and he may surprise you when you least expect it. It will be less stressful you if you just give him what he wants. I know, your probably thinking your spoiling him, don't worry about it. Think of it as just loving and respecting him. Good luck.
Buy the book, "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals" by Missy Chase Lapine, (Paperback sells for $12.21 on Amazon.com) It has about 75 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks. It gets a 5 star rating! Good luck!
The not even trying a new food can be sooooo frustrating - I'm ok with ym 3 y.o. son not wanting to eat the whole thing, but it kills me when he won't even try it. So - we do bribe as a last resort, but I really try not to always use dessert as the bribe. It might be a sticker, or an extra story at bedtime, if he will take one bite. Sometimes the reverse philosophy works, but you never know when it will work or not. We might say something like " well, you don't even like cake" he'll say "yes I do", and then we'll try it with whatever it is we're trying to get him to taste. If I know I'll be introducing a new food that night, I might read Green Eggs and Ham that day or the day before, to prep him to try something new.
Good luck - I hope at least one of these ideas work! Pleaes let me know :) - J.
My son has always had a texture issue with certain foods- potato, apple sauce, anything that resembles babyfood. nada. Today he did try some potato salad, put it in his mouth, started to gag, and took it out... I was happy he actually stuck it in there.
The least amount of pressure I think is better. My parents tried to get me to eat or like tuna cassarole... still despise tuna to this day... and most cassaroles.
I can tell you, that "offer it to him 20 times and he'll eat it" advice is bunk.. you'll have to hide the veggies, because I've been offering my two kids the same foods every day for years and they still won't touch them. you can try giving him "dips" , ketchup, applesauce spaghetti sauce, and see if that works, but just keep trying and hopefully they'll go to college with vegetables in their diets.
Hi A.-
I had this problem w/ my 3yr old daughter and I couldn't take it anymore. I stopped making her seperate dinners because I thought she was just getting ridiculous w/ the whole situation so I just kept offering the foods she supposedly didn't like or didn't want to try. I told her every night that this is what's for dinner, either you eat it or you go hungry. This lasted about a week before she got tired of going to bed w/out any dinner. She would ask for something after dinner but she knew I would tell her no. I had to be consistent w/ that one.
You might feel guilty at first but after a few nights your son should know that you're serious about this rule and he better eat what's on his plate or go hungry.
Good luck!
-D.
(SAHM of a 4yr old daughter, 2yr old son & a baby girl due in June)
My kids went through that stage but we have a rule in our house it dont matter what it is and whether or not you like it.. You get 2 bites of it on your plate.. All you have to do is eat the 2 bites if you dont like it you dont have to have more. If you dont eat the 2 bites you dont get a bed time snack or desert or both. My kids didnt like missing out on snack. And through the process found out some things were not so bad and wanted more. Also kids tastes change my son detested green beans through his toddler years and now cant get enoguh.. Also the same with carrots. He also can handle a few more than 2 bites of broccolli... Just keep introducing and dont make a big fuss 1 or 2 bites or no desert.. And dont give in.. He wont like going with out desert or snack while you eat one. He will give in as long as you dont give in..
My sister had 2 picky boys and she didnt make em eat or try new things and they are the pickiest eaters ever.. Its frustrating when we try to plan meals together.. I still need to grind onions to hide them so they wont know they are in potato salad. And they are in high school and colledge..lol my kids know it is ok not to like something. But ya never know when you might like something. So we always try it..
Good luck and best wishes..
I just had to stop by and see what advice people gave you, because my son seems to have little sensors that activate when he's wthin 5 feet of a vegetable. He won't even eat pizza with detectable oregano flakes! He used to eat carrots, but now he won't. The only veggie he eats is corn. We've tried hiding them, but it doesn't work. It's frustrating, but hopefully one day he'll understand the importance of gritting his teeth and bearing it for a few bites.
Goodluck!
