From the article: Tips for Getting Picky Eaters to Eat
When my son was about two years old, he lived on little more than milk, fruit, and whole wheat bread. He used to eat just about everything, but then suddenly stopped eating all but a few favorite foods. He loved dinosaurs, so I managed to get him to eat chicken by serving him chicken pieces shaped like dinosaurs. I eventually got him to eat raw carrots by telling him they were dinosaur food. If your child was a picky eater, what did you do to get him or her to eat? Share Your Ideas!
Everything named steak.
- My son would not eat anything but steak. When he asked, "What's for dinner?" If I said, "Pork chops.", his reply, "I hate pork chops!" So, I started naming everything steak. There was white steak for pork, chicken steak for chicken, soft steak for lamb etc. The result: He ate everything cleaning his plate and today at 33 years old; he is a great cook enjoying everything by the proper name. :)
- —Guest Pam
Allow some playing with food
- I have a former and a current picky eater. My kids don't stop their imaginations when it's time to eat. I try to channel it, rather than stop it. Use children's books and games as ways to start conversations and encourage pleasant mealtimes. Shift focus away from counting bites of vegetables eaten/to be eaten. Laugh a little. Lighten up. I blog about all of this at http://dashingbean.com
- —Guest Tresna
Picky Eater
- Because our gifted son is very attached to his favorite foods we started a "Food Adventure" chart where he earns stickers for trying new foods, including eating out, and he receives rewards in stages and when the chart is done he can choose an activity or something special. That way he works towards something, tries and learns what he likes or dislikes and we don't fight at meal times. We do have some rules (eat the meal, can't say you don't like it without trying a full bite, helping cook the food and then eat it, choosing from each part of the chart). Currently he is working towards an electric guitar with 'rock n roll' lessons!
- —Mystic_Shan
Get the Right Silverware
- My daughter has a set of spoon/forks with Disney princesses, one son has Elmo and Zoey, and another has trains. It's part of making them feel like meal time is a pleasure.
- —Guest Jess
Bunnies Make it Better
- My daughter loves bunnies. My great find was Annie's organic bunny pasta. The pastas are in the shape of bunnies -- and I can serve almost anything with them and she'll eat them. She's not much of a meat eater -- or any protien -- so I usually mix a bit in with the pasta. I am also a big believer in raw veggies.
- —Guest Maisey
Hi
- Great article, thanks. Interesting one on the raw potato - I was about to write on here saying that I wouldn't advise it - however I've just looked it up to be sure, and it turns out that you were absolutely right! You can eat them raw. apparently there are a whole group of people who do, they even season them with salt, and sometimes just eat a piece while chopping it up and before cooking the rest of it.
- —Guest Tom
My thoughts on picky eaters
- Something I thought of while reading this was that breastmilk has the flavors of the mother's diet, so you can give your child the gift of those tastes while nursing. I think it's at least partially why I don't have too much of an issue with picky eaters. You also need to give kids a variety of foods early on. Love your suggestions for mashing - this also works well to combine foods, think mashed cauliflower and potatoes.
- —Guest Robin
