While that might be what we all think of food, my girls definitely don't think that. They are gradually becoming more and more pickier in what they eat. I try VERY hard not to cater to them, but some days it seems like no matter what I serve for dinner they want the exact. same. thing. Or they won't even bother trying it. I get really excited when we serve something new that they actually like!! Some days Lydia is the picky one, and other days it is Claire. I am feeling frustrated at the moment, and food shouldn't be frustrating. Am I setting unrealistic expectations?
So, I am asking for any suggestions/advice from you experienced moms, you novice moms, or dads, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, brothers, sisters, so basically ANY one!!
What are some fun creative ways you have gotten a child to eat something that he/she is opposed to?
What are some fun kid friendly, yet adults appreciate them too, meals that you have made for your family and had positive feedback from?
How did you get your kids to eat their vegetables (my kids do eat some of them, but a select few)?
Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated!!
9 comments:
There's a cookbook called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld and it is fantastic for this kind of thing (she wrote it because her kids did the same thing). Maybe it would offer some tips that would work for your girls:)
Sorry no advice here--we just hit this stage with Ally and we don't know what to do. She goes to the point of trying it then spitting it out all over her! GRrr....last night I was fed up and sent her to time out and she could come back to the table when she was ready to eat---she came back but did it again! Ahhh....yes---help would be appreciated!
You are the cutest thing ever! I love reading your posts. My favorite bit of advice is using dips for foods. Hummus, ranch dressing, ketchup and canned whipped cream are favorites. Tim never liked dipping until recently but Kayla picked it up really quick.
I have the Deceptively Delicious cookbook but have actually never made anything out of it. I just use the same concept. I puree all my veggies and then add them to our meals. Cauliflower in the mashed potatoes, carrots in the spaghetti sauce, beets in the pancake mix to make them pink. And the best part is you can't taste them. I love it. Last winter I added some kind of veggie to everything I made and none of us got sick all winter long. You can always call me if you have questions. I'll be happy to help.
Much like collette we blend veggies in. Our fav is to put spinach in the mainara sauce. We put it in raw and blend it really well. It smells and tastes the same but it does turn kind of brown. But it hides the brown of the whole wheat noodles really well. This is his favorite food so i make a bunch for the week and then put it in little containers for him. That way he has healthy snacks that he loves. Also we are very lax on dinner. He tends to eat little bits of food all day long. Which my pediatrician actually said was better for him. So as long as he sits down with us for dinner we don't really try and make him eat. I know meal time is a real battle for a lot of my friends because they made all these rules about how many bites, or they are bartering with dessert or tv time. We try not to make a big deal out of it at all and while he may not try something this week, he may the next. Dinner is always a good time for us and as it's basically the only time we always get to spend as a family we put that as our highest priority. Also, i found you can put zuchini and yellow squash in almost anything as it has very little taste and can be either mushy or crunchy. Matthew doesn't seem to notice it in stuff. Good luck.
Michelle, Your friends have lots of good suggestions - way to go moms! Children will be picky. As long as they are growing well and are healthy, I wouldn't be overly concerned about the pickiness. Making mealtime stress-free is important because eating disorders can arise from making mealtime a battleground. Offer the healthy foods they like often, and introduce newer foods regularly, but maybe not as often. Don't give up if they don't like it the first time, just try again next time and they might forget that they "don't like it." My picky kids are all healthy and strong. They'll grow out of it as long as you don't cater to them too much!
Thanks for the advice everyone!! I really appreciate it. I think I just need to relax a little and know that they are growing and that all is well and eventually they will be older and they won't (hopefully) be so picky.
Oh, and the title was borrowed from a song in the musical "Oliver." :)
Hey Michelle, I know I'm not a mom, but because of my job I have found a few things....with the individuals I work with, it really helps to serve the treat (i.e. chips, fruit snacks, etc) at the END of the meal, and if they eat a good portion of the main course, then they get a treat!!! It has worked great! The other thing is, there is one individual who doesn't like water, but his mom sends nothing else, and so I just say, "It'll make your mommy really happy if you drink it!!" and he does! So I don't know if these will work, but they've worked for me, so you can try! Love you!
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