Toddler Still Very Picky Eater

Just a tip that helped me. You can mix almost any veggie into mac and cheese. I would mix pees into it, and the kids never knew.
I read in a parent magizine once that it takes a child at least 7 times of try ing a newe food for them to accually have a preference for it or not, becasue their sense of taste is still developing.

I wish you the best of luck!

I am also struggling with a very picky 3 year old boy. My tactic lately is to put the graham crackers away and only offer, meal plus fruit. I make one meal now and if he doesn't want it then he can get down and go play. I find that if he's hungry, he'll eat some of what is offered. My rule is that he needs to try everything on his plat and then he can request seconds on any item being served.
I feel your pain! Good luck.

Food is one of only a few things they can control, so it really doesn't seem like a good idea to make it into a battleground. We won't win.

I follow the idea of it is my job to offer healthy food and her job to decide what and how much to eat. Some days this is very frustrating as she will want to just eat bread and cheese but other times she eats a lot more balanced. DD just turned 3.

DD doesn't eat meat (will not touch it, never has), so there is often something we are eating that she won't. I don't force it. I always offer her a taste of new foods but respect her right to say no. Last week she said yes to fish and liked it. I've offered it tons of times before but last week she said yes.

I don't usually make her a completely different meal, I just make sure there are foods on the table that she will eat. I try to avoid processed foods. I make bread so if she wants bread and butter for a snack I know it's whole wheat and not full of additives, at least. If we make pizza or pasta, it's whole wheat and I sneak extra veggies into the sauce. If we have pancakes, they are whole wheat and have apples, pumpkin or bananas in there. Oatmeal is whole oats with apples shredded in there.

I think a lot of kids have texture issues, sometimes it is a case where intervention is required. For the usual kid though, just model eating a variety of foods, offer (without pressure) tastes of yours. Talk about healthy foods outside of mealtimes. Avoid bargaining "you can have a cookie if you eat a carrot." That sends more of a message that carrots are icky. If you get a treat for eating them they must be bad.

Dr. Sears has a nutrition book that might help. Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious might give you some ideas of adapting foods she will eat to get more goodness in them.

My DD won't eat sauce on pasta but she will dip bread or cheese into the sauce and eat the pasta plain, so consider alternatives. I know a lot of kids like dips (not mine).

Also kids often will eat stuff they help prepare. Get a kid cookbook from the library and get her involved. That may expand her eating. Consider new foods outside your comfort area too. I am sometimes surprised at the ethnic foods DD will want to try and then like (she eats sushi, for ex but won't touch more normal foods).

Good luck, I know the food thing can be so frustrating. Try to let it go. If it is a case where she will only eat 2 foods or something like that, talk with her doc to see if something else is going on. But kids this age are picky, some much worse than others!

Hi H.,
You don't say how old your daughter is, but picky eating is normal until about age 5 or 6. At least it was with my son. He went through a famous "tan phase." He would only eat things that were tan, by coincidence that is. Pasta, cereal, rice, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese... For a short while we humoured him or on days that we couldn't be bothered. But on most days we served him the same things we were eating. If he was hungry, he'd eat it. If he wasn't, or if he was just that stubborn, he wouldn't. Usually he was just that stubborn and did not eat. We'd let him eat something like yogurt to cap off the meal. MD said as long as he's healthy and nourished don't worry about it, and give him a multivitamin. Now he's nine and eats EVERYTHING we do: seafood, meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, salad, ethnic food... he's learned by example. But it was a slow process and took years of his just watching us and eventually coming round by mere curiosity. We'd offer him a taste and most times he'd decline till finally he'd say, "Can I try that?"

Important thing is not to make it an emotional issue or struggle for anyone. Keep it neutral to the best of your ability. (This wasn't easy for us so I'm not suggesting it will be easy for you!) For kids a big part of refusing to eat is simply control. They don't have control over so many things in their lives, the one thing they can control is what goes into their mouths. This is how someone explained it to me and it made sense. Once that struggle is over they may come round. They may not! It might take longer. As long as your daughter is healthy, try not to get angry with her at mealtimes. Maintain table as a nice family time.

Good luck.

My son sees an OT for "picky" eating and other sensory problems. Somethings have helped others have not but they are worth a shot. We were told to always offer the "safe" food that you know your child will eat as an alternative. We always have Mac & cheese on hand (I mix stage 1 veggies into it) but we offer what we are eating too. Sometimes he will try what we have and push it away after a bite other days he just wants mac and cheese. He could eat it for every meal and be happy. I don't push it. The other things that he will eat are baby oatmeal, stage 3 creamy smooth soups, and yogurt but only certain brands because of thickness and texture. He is growing fine and healthy and our pediatrician said that's the only thing that matters. If he starts to slide off his current growth curve then we will be concerned but until then just keep doing what we are doing.

That's a tough one. I have a tot about the same age and friends who are going through the same thing.
Mine happens to be an excellent eater (people always comment to that affect but I don't think it's a big deal).
So my advice can be taken with a grain of salt BUT I think he is not picky due to a few reasons and this is what I think you should do.
Basically, anyone prefers (and kids hone right into) things that are sweet. We feed them mushy baby food to start, so I think "texture training" and introducing varied foods begins at an early age.
Take a look at what you are offering her. Does she know that you will eventually give in and give her something she wants, like something you'd rather not feed her? I wonder what is it that she actually eats. Ideally, she should eat what you are having, not special kid meals.
I wouldn't make a big power struggle over it. In fact, there should not be any angst or display of disappointment in her at the dinner table. Just say this is what we're eating and that's it! She won't be happy about it. Acknowledge her feelings and allow her to tantrum if need be. Just remain calm about it.
Also, and this is a tough one for most parents: she won't starve if she doesn't eat what she's offered. One friend just discovered a ranch salad dressing spray. Her kid then gobbled up everything on her plate! I know mine will eat a bowl full of ketchup or jelly if I ever offered him that. And that's just it. Stop offering her specialty foods and she will have to adapt.