What do you do if your kid is a "picky-eater"?

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Permalink Reply by Deshaan on March 4, 2009 at 6:00am

I actually am still giving my 2 year old bottles with 2 containers of babyfood mixed with milk several times a day. He didn't start eating table food on a regular basis until he was about 18 months. He just wasn't interested. Also, one of the things he WOULD eat was bologna which I know is not good for him, but he ate it. There was some nutrition in it so I would feed it to him.

He has gotten much better with eating table food and I've been able to expand the range of the food he'll eat but I'm still concerned enough to continue giving him the bottles--at least I know that's healthy.

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Permalink Reply by Kristie on March 4, 2009 at 10:47am

My 23 mo old son is somewhat of a picky eater, however getting him to eat is the biggest challenge. He has always been below the 25th percentile for weight and it has been a major concern of mine over the past year. He loves to eat on the go and snack throughout the day, but getting him to eat a solid meal is almost impossible. We've tried limiting snacks, but that also doesn't seem to work. I too would be interested in any advice on this subject. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by minnemom on March 5, 2009 at 3:00pm

I'm not Sheryl, but I'll tell you how I handle it from the parent-of-the-picky-eater perspective.

I tell the parent that there are very few things my child will eat. I tell the host that my daughter has been trained to say "yes please" or "no thank you" to each food offered and not to be alarmed if she says "no thank you" to everything. I do not expect the host to change the menu for my child. My child will either find something she will eat, or wait to eat when she gets home. It is not the host's job to change the menu for my child's tastes, nor to try to "cure" my child of her eating tendencies.

Sometimes my daughter eats something, and sometimes she comes home very hungry.

Linda

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Permalink Reply by Kelly on March 14, 2009 at 9:42am

My son is 7 years old and is the worlds most pickiest eater.He likes meat. But will not eat vegs of fruit. He ate them when he was a baby and until he was 4,but doesn't like them now. What happened? I need some HELP!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Patrice Blakemore on March 14, 2009 at 9:54am

My children were picky eaters as toddlers. They still have preferences but now it is better when I give them only two options to choose from. At first they refused to eat what I gave them. But after a day, they were hungry and were happy to eat. I also have a friend who stopped by "snack" food and would only give her children fresh fruits and veggies. "If it's not in the house, they wouldn't be able to eat it," was her thought. The good thing is, if kids get hungry enough, they will eat.

But looking back, my biggest problem was my confidence. I had to shore up my confidence so that when the time came, I would follow through on any consequences. For example, if I gave them a balanced meal, they had to eat that meal before they were given anything else. It was difficult, because sometimes they refused to eat it and would not get anything else for dinner. But it did work.

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Permalink Reply by melinda on March 14, 2009 at 9:03pm

i have an extremely picky eater he's 4.
i looked at the deceptively delicious book at the book store.... problem: he doesn't eat any of those foods.
he won't take vitamins. if something is the "wrong shape" he won't touch anything on his plate. we once had chicken nuggets in the shapes of snowmen and snowflakes. when he had a snowflake on his plate he flipped out and refused to eat any of it. he gags on new foods, if you can get them near him. he will only eat certain types of chicken nuggets, certain types of fries or home made ones, certain dry cereals, toast, crackers, pretzels, sometimes mashed potatoes, popcorn, cheese pizza if we're lucky... no fruits or veggies.
even his ped has given me the typical advice but no seems to listen to the problem. how can i sneak food into the food he eats, he finds it. the recipies, he doesn't eat that stuff.
i've tried the whole only making one meal thing, and the sending to bed without dinner. all that gets me is a tired and hungry 4 year old.

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Permalink Reply by theparentpack on March 16, 2009 at 1:28pm

I find that eliminating those non healthy temptations from the home helps. So does having your child help you shop for, and prepare the food. When they have had their hand in it, they are more invested in it.

We do a lot of smoothies, because otherwise I don't think we would get enough fruits and vegetables in our diets. I have learned that you can add just about any vegetable, and as long as you can hide it in your hand they won't taste it.

Wish you all the luck, mine are 11 and 8 and while they still whine about every meal initially, they end up liking more than they thought they would.

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Permalink Reply by aida alinsub on March 18, 2009 at 1:59pm

Thanks for sharing! I do a lot of smoothies / protein shakes too mixed with different fruits everyday and so far my son, who just turned 9 loves it! With the addition of this protein kid powder also helps him a lot in terms of energy as well as giving him strong immune system...i love it, less stress for me as the mother!

Yes, it also helps eliminating those unhealthy foods inside your pantry...great sharing!

theparentpack said:

I find that eliminating those non healthy temptations from the home helps. So does having your child help you shop for, and prepare the food. When they have had their hand in it, they are more invested in it.

We do a lot of smoothies, because otherwise I don't think we would get enough fruits and vegetables in our diets. I have learned that you can add just about any vegetable, and as long as you can hide it in your hand they won't taste it.

Wish you all the luck, mine are 11 and 8 and while they still whine about every meal initially, they end up liking more than they thought they would.

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Permalink Reply by aida alinsub on March 18, 2009 at 2:17pm

Hi Melinda,
Thanks for sharing... i really don't like to sound "sale-sy" but just want to share what helped me and my son. He's a very picky-eater and as a mother i used to be so stressed out too , tried everything but nothing significant happened. He used to be so thin, so sickly, no energy, can't go out to play with other kids unless he puffs his inhaler... so I solicited every advise i could get, read all books that i thought might help, been to all pediatricians in the area, reviewed all my books in nursing re growth and development,etc.
One thing I found out though, even doctors would say , this period will just come to pass, do all the things you think might help... if he still chooses to be picky, then the help of supplements the best...so far my son became healthier, never gets sick since the start of this "protein kid shake" ( flavor: choco,strawberries, vanilla) which i give 2x a day. Pls. look at my son's photo in my profile.
I hope this sharing helps.

melinda said:

i have an extremely picky eater he's 4.
i looked at the deceptively delicious book at the book store.... problem: he doesn't eat any of those foods.
he won't take vitamins. if something is the "wrong shape" he won't touch anything on his plate. we once had chicken nuggets in the shapes of snowmen and snowflakes. when he had a snowflake on his plate he flipped out and refused to eat any of it. he gags on new foods, if you can get them near him. he will only eat certain types of chicken nuggets, certain types of fries or home made ones, certain dry cereals, toast, crackers, pretzels, sometimes mashed potatoes, popcorn, cheese pizza if we're lucky... no fruits or veggies.
even his ped has given me the typical advice but no seems to listen to the problem. how can i sneak food into the food he eats, he finds it. the recipies, he doesn't eat that stuff.
i've tried the whole only making one meal thing, and the sending to bed without dinner. all that gets me is a tired and hungry 4 year old.

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Permalink Reply by aida alinsub on March 18, 2009 at 2:59pm

Hi Kelly,
Thanks for sharing. I remember, I also used to say that " my son is the world's most picky-eater!" hehehe. We have so many suggestions from our friends here that you can try, if that still not works for your son, I strongly suggest a good supplement ( i hate sounding sale-sy but just want to share as well what worked for me and my son )that really works and provides the nutrients needed and essential for our kids growth and development. (Pls. read my response to Melinda.) Again,thanks for sharing!

Aida



Kelly said:

My son is 7 years old and is the worlds most pickiest eater.He likes meat. But will not eat vegs of fruit. He ate them when he was a baby and until he was 4,but doesn't like them now. What happened? I need some HELP!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Madelen on March 21, 2009 at 10:43pm

visit my recipes blog www.recetasdemadelen.com

good luck

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Permalink Reply by Billie B on March 23, 2009 at 7:47am

Hi! I used to be a very picky eater. I was very healthy, trim and never missed a day of school except two weeks with chicken pox in grade school. I ate a good breakfast and lunch. I liked veggies and fruits, but only certain ones. I LOVED milk products and bread. I used to think that I could just live on bread and butter with milk to drink and would be happy. I sat most nights at the table until bedtime because I would not eat. I was very well-behaved (not stubborn, or headstrong) and so shy I would do anything to remain unnoticed. Now I am almost 60. 20 years ago I discovered I was allergic to milk products. My migraines since childhood went away. Hmmmm. 4 months ago I discovered I am gluten intolerant! For the first time I now have normal stools (always had soft - diarrhea. thought this was normal), have less age related aches, am more clear-headed, etc, etc. Come to find out - folks with food intolerances/allergies tend to love or hate (no in between) the problem food. Also, they know that picky eaters often have these intolerance issues. The bad news is the only real way to test for food problems is by elimination. It takes 3-4 days for the food to leave the body. So I ate sweet potatoes for four days. No butter, oil, etc. On the fourth day I added broccoli. Four more days. Then I added chicken. Four more days. Remember - no butter, parsley, sugar, etc. I did my elimination diet in the most strict manner possible. But the results were worth it. Warning: the tests for celiac disease/gluten intolerance, or milk are NOT accurate! I argue with doctors all the time. The AMA does not know everything! I figure: if my gut hurts after I eat regular toast then I don't eat it! Way to simple for those with multiple medical degrees. So, I hope this helps. I learned a lot from the celiac groups on Yahoo. (another long story here). I also cannot have grapes, soy, and a few meds. I feel so much better now! Good luck! BillieDog

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