Seeking Advice on a Picky Eatter

I tried this and it is great for kids!

Deceptively Delicious
by Jessica Seinfeld

You can get it for $10 on amazon.

Hi C., 'Try mixing fruits and veggies into the things she likes- try mixing a little pineapple into cottage cheese- peas or corn, ground beef into macaroni & cheese, maybe some ham or thin tomatoe slices into her grilled cheese, frozen then thawed strawberries or blueberries onto her french toast. Sometimes you have to just keep trying a food over and over and one day they decide they like it. Keep offering chopped up fruits to her when you think she is hungry, or try mixing applesauce into her yogurt. Good luck!:)

Learn from my mistake!!! My kids are adults now and would only eat a few things because my MIL boyfriend would spoil them rotten. If they did not like what she was serving, he would go out and get them grilled cheese. Of course against hers and my wishes. They didn't start eating new foods until they were well into their late teens. Stop it while she is young.
After dinner one night, sit her down and tell her that as of tomorrow she WILL be eating new things because the DR said she has to to grow strong. If your man is around have him there to back you up. The longer you let it go the worse it will be. Make sure when you go out, that she sees other children eating healthy foods. Let her see that they like the other foods. If they will talk to her and tell her how they liked it, that would be great.

I say start with breakfast. Give her a pancake plain or with just a little butter, scrambled eggs(If she likes ketchup, let her try some on the eggs.) Fruits of some kind(pick a flavor or texture you think she will like. If she doesn't eat them, tell her that she will have to wait for lunch. Make sure that she knows that she IS going to eat something new for lunch too. Maybe you can give her some choices of what she can have.

If you know one of her friends or cousins like something introduce that food. DO NOT GIVE IN!!! BE TOUGH!!! Yes I know it will be hard. She will cry and have a fit, but that is just afact you will have to deal with.

Just make sure she has something to drink, but not too much. You don't want to fill the empty place. She has to be aware that it is empty and the only way it is going to get filled is to try new foods. Let her smell the new stuff too. Yes I aggree let her help you make the food if she would like.

Maybe if she doesn't eat by the next day you can go to the store and let her choise 3 things that she will try. Remember what she liked when she was a baby and suggest those things too.

She will not get sick or suffer terrible agony if she doesn't eat for a day. You will if you let it go on too long. Believe me I know!!!! If I only had those years back.....

I had a conversation about this with our doctor when my oldest was little. She said that kids are picky eaters at this stage. Always offer the new foods first and then if they don't eat it or try it but don't like it, they are not going to starve to death over skipping one meal. She also said that kids only need to eat the number of bites they are old of each food you present. So if you make meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and carrots, they only need to eat 2 bites of each thing. Their stomach are not as big as ours and it takes less to fill them up. My oldest was really picky and I gave in and made him the foods he wanted. But I always offered the other food first. Eventually he started trying the foods I offered and I didn't need to make him a seperate meal. It must have been a first child thing though because I have 3 more kids and I refuse to do that for them. They either eat what I make or they don't eat. I have a 7 year old, 5 year old, 3 year old and an almost 1 year old. (The baby is still on jar food but I am starting to graduate her to the foods we eat). My three year old has gone to bed at night with out eating dinner because she didn't eat what I made. She then wakes up in the morning and eats the breakfast I prepare. My 5 year old doesn't complain any more he just eats what I make. My 7 year old it not an issue either. He eats so much I have to actually tell him he can't have anymore after hte 2nd helping. My advice to you is to continue to offer her the foods you make and eventually she will start to try them. Plus it is not going to hurt her to skip a meal,you just have to be strong about it and stand your ground if that is what you choose to do. I used both methods(offering foods to try first then making the meal they want and only offering the one meal I made and if they didn't eat it they didn't eat anything) and they both worked. Good luck!

Hi C.,

It can take many tries before kids like a certain food. Keep in mind that if she will eat one fruit, one green veggie, one yellow/orange veggie, she doesn't need to eat 6 of each. We may like variety but she can get all of her nutrients by eating one thing in each food group. Have you spoken to the pediatrician? It may be recommended that she take a multivitamin if she isn't eating from all of the food groups.

Food is one thing that they can control and if you make it seem like you want her to eat these foods, she won't. Let it be her choice. Let her see you eating the foods you'd like her to try. During mealtimes, make sure there are small serving bowls of the things you'd like her to try. Don't offer them to her or even be tempted to mention them to her, wait til she asks and then let her determine her own serving size. Leave out a tray of healthy snacks that she can choose from and include some fruit on there, which again you shouldn't offer or even mention it's there, but she may try it when she thinks that you are not looking.

Good luck!

Keep offering healthy choices. It takes about 10-12 times of offering something before a picky eater will try it.

I just started playing the "rainbow" game with my four kids. I bought a lot of brightly colored foods ( tomaotes, oranges, bananas, green beans, etc..) and we try to see who can eat a "whole rainbow": Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple. You can make a chart and color with crayons each time she eats a different color. When she eats a whole rainbow, there can be a small reward or toy from the dollar store. Good luck!

I had a similar experience with a picky eater. My step-daughter was 7 when I joined the family. Unfortunately we had to practice the tough love approach to trying new foods. At breakfast and lunch she would be give two choices of healthy foods and had to choose one or not eat again until the next meal. It sounds harsh but there were very few times she went hungry, kids will not starve themselves. For dinner, I only made one meal for the entire family, she was given a reasonalble portion of everything and if she did not want to eat it, then there were no snacks until the next meal (breakfast). I believe you have to be strict with how you feed kids and not give into their fits. Try and think of it this way, it's about nutrition, not about your child being happy and if you do not get her to eat right now then it will be 100 times more difficult when she is older. As far as trying things is concerned we usually try to introduce her to new foods when we eat out or at lunch time when we are having different foods. We have a 3 bite rule, that is you must take 3 bites chew them fully and swallow before you can really taste a food. She is now a very good eater and has even tried Sushi and Indian food. Remember it is the parent that is in control, not the child, and teaching them to eat right is the best gifts you can possibly give them. I am sure after one night with an empty tummy your child will happily eat what you put in front of her. Best of luck!

My children really started eating their veggies when I let them pick and plant the ones they wanted in a little garden just for them. They loved the planting and growing process and couldn't wait to eat what was theirs. Until then it was so hard to get one in their mouths. As far as fruits went, I used to make yogurt smoothies for breakfast and slip in whatever fruit I had in the house. Yogurt, fruit and a little ice in a bender, add a special straw and "wa-la" there you have it. Hope this helps, it is so frustrating when they don't want o eat!

Hi!

My daughter will be 2 in April too!! She went through a faze the last few months of not eating meat. Only veggies, fruit and cheese. It is only a faze. Keep offerring but do not push. They are at the age where they know they can make their own decisions. I took baby jarred meat and mixed it in to foods she would eat. Maybe you can do the same with veggies and fruit.

Now this week she is eating every meat we offer her!!! Hang in there and enjoy your baby girl!!!

at 2 they become very picky. my daughter eats just about anything, but ONLY if she can feed it to herself. so finger foods are great. macNcheese is a problem for us(though she loves it) because i have to help her, and sometimes she just won't touch it. i would say try chicken, chicken is so good for them, and you can give either chunks, strips, or nuggets and they have the ability to eat it themselves, plus you can prepare it so many different ways. as for the veggies...try looking up Jennifer Seinfeld's book, i think it's called Deceptively Delicious, and she has a bunch of recipes on how to make everything kids WILL eat (including brownies) and put veggies in them w/out them even knowing they have the proper amount of veggies. i think she steams them, then puts each veggie in a plastic seal bag and mashes it up to a puree, then just adds it to the recipe and you'd never know it was even in there. good luck, i still haven't gotten the opportunity to do this, but as soon as i have the money to go and buy the book, i'll be making things from it. i personally am very eager to do this (i suggested it to another mom, and she said she was very happy with it, though it was for an older child). good luck, hope this helps.
p.s. try eating with her, put your plate on the table, and whether she's eating off your plate, or hers...make 'overreactions' on how GREAT it takes and hopefully she'll 'steal' from your plate and have something new to eat (sometimes that works with my daughter).

Hi C.,
I had a request not that long ago that was similar to yours. Your daughter actually has more variety than my son. Just keep offering new foods eventually they'll try something. My son turned 2 in Jan. and for a little over a year he's eaten nothing but pretzels, goldfish, graham sticks and yogurt shakes. YESTERDAY HE TRIED A CARROT!!! I was stunned. A way to get other nutrients into her would be the yogurt shakes. If she'll drink them (through a straw is the fun way) you can add veggies, other fruits, etc. It worked for me. We're still on the limited diet, but the fact that he's trying something new is a huge deal for us. He used to throw food on the floor too, then we got him to the point where he didn't throw it on the floor but he still wouldn't eat it. I didn't read all of your responses, but I have to say that you shouldn't force them to eat what they don't want to. It will just make the situation worse. Good luck and let us know what happens. :o)

C.,

I don't have much advice for you, but I wanted you to know that this is fairly common. I have had 3 picky eaters, with my 3 year old still being very picky like your daughter. Cereal for breakfast, chicken patty for lunch, piece of cheese for dinner. She also eats french bread, pancakes and tacos when we make them. No fruit, no vegetables. She sits at the table with us and will put food on her plate, but she won't touch it and sometimes ends up taking it off the plate and onto the floor.

For a while we were giving her pediasure but the doctor told us that we were doing everything wrong by doing that, so I stopped offering that to her over a year ago. He said her eating would improve, but if anything it has gotten worse. People told us to not give her anything but what we were eating, which we did for a while, and she just stopped eating dinner altogether. She went probably 5 months without eating anything for dinner. Now she eats a piece of American cheese for dinner.I have worried myself over it and finally I had the doctor do a blood test and when everything came back normal, I stopped worrying. I'm assuming that mine will outgrow it and hopefully yours will too!

D.

Oh do I feel your pain... I have a 5 year old that refuses to try any veggies and only eats Bananas and the occasional apple or strawberry - and on the other hand I have a 3 year old that will eat veggies and all fruit but won't try any other foods...

There is a cook book out, actually 2 for picky eaters. they help you hide fruits and veggies into every day foods your kids eat, such as mac & Cheese, grilled cheese, etc. I don't have the titles here with me, but if you want them I can get them for you.

K.

Hi C.,
I recently read that you should let them have what they like, but also include a small portion of a new food on their plate. Encourage her to at least taste it, then she can eat the food she likes. I think a picky toddler is pretty normal! Best of luck to you!

For breakfast, my boys generally can choose between 2 things each day. Lunch is sometimes a choice, sometimes not, depending upon what I have in/what we're doing for the day. For dinner, I try to serve one thing I know they like with "new" items or things they have refused in the past. If they request more of the item they like, they need to have 3 bites of someting else being served that they didn't eat. My middle one is a dipper - for the most part, if he's got ranch dressing to dip in, he'll eat it. My little one is currently on a "meat strike". I still put a few small bites on his plate; he eats it or he doesn't but it's there for him when he's ready. (hiding tiny pieces of chicken or london broil in mashed potatos works well with him) My oldest was a "chicken nugget, mac & cheese, grape, apple, yougurt, waffle, scrambled egg" kid for a long time. At 13, he now likes salmon, chicken, salad, veggies, etc. There is hope! Keep offering, don't make it a power struggle, don't worry if she skips a meal or two.

C.,
Most kids are picky at 2 but if she is hungry she will eat. Don't give in so easily and limit snacks that you give her during the day. Offer the new food and tell her when she eats that you will give her some of her favorite after. Going to bed hungry will not hurt her as long as it isn't every night...and she will be hungry in the morning so you have a better chance of her eating some of the other foods you would like her to try. You could also introduce the new foods as her snacks...if she doesn't eat them then she gets no snack. She has learned that she can manipulate you by refusing to eat if she doesn't get her way...It won't be long before she is old enough to figure out it works for other things too, if she hasn't already figured it out. You are setting yourslf up for a lot of battles in the years to come. I raised 3 daughters and ran an inhome daycare for 25 years..My rule always was"When I give you a menu, and you leave me a tip when you get up from the table you can decide what you eat...until then you eat what I serve or you wait til the next meal. All of my daughters and most of the children I took care of eat a wide variety of foods and are not afraid to try new ones.

Hi C.!

My daughter is 20 months old and we have the same problem except she's allergic to eggs, milk and peanuts. We have a lot less to choose from! Right now all she basically eats is sausage, some cereal, soup, pasta, grapes and chicken tenders. We've also found (as seen in one of the other posts) that she loves to dip things in ketchup. She used to love meat, though, and won't eat it anymore unless it's chicken nuggets or tenders. I guess it's just a phase they go through at this age and we just have to make sure they're eating. Have you tried veggie crackers for snack time or something similar to that?

As a mother of 3 grown children 26,23,17, Kids are picky at this age. The best way I found was to make them want the food. Presentation.. Mickey mouse pancakes, Vienna sausage rolled in croissant rolls,porcupine meatballs.(the last in meatballs with rice.) Let them help choose and or make. I have a cookbook that has pictures of each item in the front. my kids used to pick a meal once a week. (I will never forget the time they picked mussels) It is always best not to force them to eat things because that will cause food issues in the future. Think outside the box. If all else fails and she wont budge, then add supplements .

My daughter is 17 months, and is also a picky eater. I've been told that your child will NOT starve themselves. If they are hungry enough, they'll eat. I also think this is pretty normal toddler behavior. They fixate on favorites. Not just food either, favorite toys, people, clothes, etc. Maybe what you can do is put other foods on her plate in addition to her favorites. That way they are there, and she can choose to have it or not. In the end, I think it's about how you want things to be at meal time. For me, I do not want to make my daughter a separate meal. I want her to understand that what I made is what is for dinner. When she's older and can express herself, or make something for herself, she can. But, until then this is the deal. So, if she gets cranky at dinner time and throws food off her tray/table. I say, oh well, I guess you're not hungry and all done with dinner. Okay! I smile and take her out of her chair. If she expresses interest. I say, oh, do you want to try some more dinner? I always give her a few tries to try again. But, after 3 then her dinner is over. Those are the limits we've set, and I think that is important. Anyhow, that is my two cents! Just keep trying to introduce variety. One day she'll try something, and decide she likes it! :)

I too have this problem with my 3 year old daughter. She will only eat frozen waffles, cereal (cheerios, special k or barbie), vegetarian chicken (sometimes) or peanut butter on a spoon. I have tried giving her new things but she has an absolute melt down. I have told the doctor MANY times that I am concerned and they say it is normal but I think it is a bit extreme. She has gone a whole day eating only two crackers with peanut butter (actually she just licked the PB off). The doctors aren't concerned because she is growing (I am not sure how she is....she is very petite for her age and was a premiee). I have tried decorating foods with fun colors and shapes...does not work. She will not try anything anyone else eats...it is driving me insane. If you happen to find something that works, PLEASE let me know! Good Luck
Becka

Even if she is crying that she is hungry, don't cave in to give her one of her favorites. She will not starve herself. All my kids (ages 11, 9 and 4) are great eaters because when they were little they got choices at breakfast and lunch, but dinner was whatever was cooked for everyone. They had to try as many bites as their age of each food. If they did this, they were allowed to have a healthy snack if they were hungry later, cheese and crackers, yogurt or fruit. Your dtr is getting protein at her lunch which is great, make sure you are buying healthy cereal, save the sugary stuff as a very rare special treat. Explain to her that there are new rules for dinnertime, that she has to try 2 bites of everything or nothing else until breakfast, if you are consistent (and don't force or argue) she will begin to try things. Dipping is great, my kids all love brocolli and asparagus because we let them put lemon juice on it, they began to eat meat with kethcup and once they hit about 8 years old, they would eat it without. My older kids have a contest with me daily to see who can eat their 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily. They follow our example, we try to show them good eating habits.

Hi C., it sounds like you are frustrated and concerned and rightly so.
I am a registered nurse and would like to offer some suggestions to you if I may.
You are not alone in having a picky eater and it is not uncommon for kids that age to be picky eaters. I would recommend that you slowly introduce good fun foods while supplementing her diet with nutritional supplements that feed the body and balance her nutritional needs.
I will be happy to speak with you if you would like to learn more. You can contact me at ###-###-#### and I will be happy to talk to you further.
R. Dykstra

Well for the most part, kids know what they like and don't like. What does your pediatrician say? Try making shakes or smoothies, she likes yogurt right......yummy shakes or smoothies that have hidden veggies in them. Make a shake/smoothie and add some pureed veggies in there...not to overwhelm the yummy taste, but certainly enough to get some veggies in her. Bake the pureed veggies as well. Have her help you and see the end result, obviously don't let her see the pureed or shaved veggies but once the batter is mixed let her help you fill the muffin or cupcake shells and pop them in the oven and she will eat her creation. Carrots and zucchini work real well here. Frost them a little and yum yum yum. Cut fruits into shapes.Make fruit kabobs with chunks of fruit. Does shee eat meat? I love ground beef for this reason...you can puree and hide everything in there and make little meatballs that will appeal to her. Just make it fun! Good Luck!

Children only want things that they know exist. In other words, if you never give it to them, they will not crave it. We always gave my son whatever we were eating & it was always a balanced meal (meat, potato & a veggie). For dessert, I had always given him fruit and he came to expect the fruit as his 'treat'. He came to absolutely love the fruit & knew that if he didn't finish his meal, he would not get his 'treat'. Carrots, celery & fruit were always his snack too; sometimes he would get cherrios. At Easter & Halloween, when candy is such a big 'to do', he would get 2 jelly beans or 2 pieces of the Halloween candy and was told that if he was really good when the company came, he would get 2 more. I know this sounds insane, but...believe it or not, when I would give him the 2 extra jelly beans or the extra Halloween candy, it did not excite him in anyway and, sometimes, he wouldn't even want them; again, what he wasn't used to, he didn't crave. Through the years, while attending children's parties, he wasn't interested in the hot dogs, mac & cheese or hardly anything else the parents were serving. He is now 15, has never ordered food off of the 'children's menu' at a restaurant (sometimes to my dismay!)eats extremely healthy (his choice) and is an absolute eating machine. He's athletic, slim & muscular, no acne like most kids his age & looks great! In short, don't introduce your child to the foods you don't want them to eat. Not only is it healthy in the long run, but easier on you if you only serve them what you eat.

My 17 month old can be a little picky as well...but we discovered he loves to "dip" his food and is willing to try new things if a familiar and favorite dip is available to go along with it. Instead of dressing/ketchup which isn't very nutritious, we offer yogurt, sour cream, tomato soup/sauce, fruit puree, etc. Just an idea!