Need to get kids on board

callsitlikeiseeit

my son is very picky. he eats what i make or he doesnt eat. once or twice a week ill make something i know he likes and eats well ( usually home made french bread pizza)

he might not eat much, but ill be damned if im making 2 dinners.

jemhh

Brown rice is not healthier than white rice.

In my house we have 3 or 4 dishes at each dinner. Each of the three of us eat varying amounts of each. My husband will not eat the vegetables most nights and my daughter does not usually eat the starchy food. I would never make a meal where there weren't at least two things that each person liked but I also don't worry about them liking everything.

Idontcareyoupick

My rule is that you have to at least try it. So add in 1 new thing at a time and make them at least try it.

jgnatca

My good friend involved her grandchildren by giving each one a dinner night. Creativity. Control. And a child is much more invested to try new things if they made it. She also had fruit pizza and kabob nights when the children built their own.

The family’s favourite dinner? They call it “Yellow Dinner” where all the foods are yellow. One of the kids creations.

My friend fostered several children with special dietary needs so she knows what she’s doing. (Diabetes, history of food hoarding).

I just remembered another technique. She keeps a bowl of attractive fruit out at all times. Free and accessible snacking.

I also wouldn’t try a restrictive diet with children. It’s all about introducing new foods and building a colourful plate.

Cbean08

If you want your kids to try new things, then stop assuming what they will and won't eat. Just because they tried it once and didn't like it does not mean they won't ever like it. It could have been how it was prepared before or the seasonings or just the mood the kid was in.

Make the foods you want the family to eat and they'll figure it out eventually. Even if all your kid eats for dinner a couple nights a week is chicken because he didn't like the side, nothing bad will happen. Or, if you insist he must have a side, offer a piece of fruit or toast or something easy.

But give your kids the opportunity to try and decline the food multiple times before you believe that they really don't like it.

Spiderpug

I have 3 teen boys - i did a grradual intro of 'everyone' meals at 1 a week. Also swapping stuff like jar sauce to homemade on fav meals. They have homemade burgers and pizza but salad comes with it now!
Don't aim to chnge too much too soon, it's easier to have them onside than against you, two of mine actually help cook now

kenyonhaff

Humans have a tendency to balk at any big changes... especially ones that are very personal, such as eating habits.

But you only have to make a bunch of relatively small changes for big effect. And it does not have to mean "giving up" anything (unless it's an allergy). Just changing a few things make a big difference.

For example, I learned several things about my own eating habits that I am working on changing with my own 10 year old and my husband:

* Portion sizes. There's a healthy serving of pizza, and then there's over-sized portions that are just too much and really gluttonous. Have a slice (or two) and eat some light Caesar salad, instead. But yes, we will have pizza.

* Kid-friendly foods can be healthy. Pizza? Make it thinner crust and get some veggies in there? Mac and cheese? Sure, just watch portion sizes. Tacos? Yes please! Load up the salsa, lean beef, chicken, or fish, and light cheese or sour cream.

* Don't make eating a fight. If you don't want your kids munching on potato chips, don't make them a regular food in the house. Kids will eat healthier snacks simply because there's no other choice. Another tactic: Don't like dinner? That's OK. Make YOURSELF (as in any kid over the age of 5) a peanut butter sandwich. Don't like the veggie? Help yourself to a carrot. But you aren't going to whip up something else.

* Good food is healthy food. I was pleasantly surprised to find my son really loves some of the food I ate a lot on MFP. Turns out hard-boiled eggs are a favorite. He loves fresh fish with some lemon pepper. I have trouble keeping cheddar rice cakes in stock in the pantry.

kenyonhaff

Oh, also: no one food is actually mandatory to eat healthy. It's OK if your kids (or you) hate kale or cottage cheese. You don't have to eat them.

Stick with foods people actually like, in a form they like them. Canned spinach? Blech. Fresh spinach in a salad? Yum.

maryannprt

I have 2 (now adult) children who eat anything and everything. We had 2 rules about food. You have to have a "tasting bite" of everything, even if you've eaten it before and think you don't like it. Other than a tasting bite, you don't have to eat anything, all you need to say is no, thank you, I'm not going to nag or force you, but Mom's not cooking something else. I'm not saying a kid didn't eat just corn, or rice or a few 1 item meals, but I always had multiple things on the table for dinner, no one starved, neither of them are obese, and they are willing to try anything.

cherys

jemhh wrote: »

Brown rice is not healthier than white rice.

Really? I thought it had more nutrients and fibre and even more protein in it so was more nutrionally valuable wieght for weight. Is that wrong?

jemhh

cherys wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

Brown rice is not healthier than white rice.

Really? I thought it had more nutrients and fibre and even more protein in it so was more nutrionally valuable wieght for weight. Is that wrong?

The differences are negligible. Per the USDA nutrient database, 100 g of raw long grain brown rice has 7.54 grams of protein and 3.6 grams of fiber while 100 g of raw long grain unenriched white rice has 7.1 grams of protein and 1.3 grams of fiber. You could say that brown rice has nearly two times more fiber than white rice but that 2.3 grams is a tiny difference in the scheme of things.

girlwithcurls2

Why are you telling them that you're changing things up? If they question it, use my mom's response, "Oh yeah. We had this before. You loved it. You even had seconds. You don't remember??"
Seriously. Don't tell them. Just feed them.

Iamnotasenior

I had three very picky stepchildren who were "vegetarians" but did not actually eat any vegetables or fruit. They subsisted on pasta, potatoes, tofu, refried beans and bread most of the time. I tried everything I could think of to get them to eat vegetables with dinner and eventually gave up. One child WOULD eat vegetables, but only if they were raw and only if she was in the mood. So I decided to make vegetables for myself and put them on the table at every meal. No one was forced to eat them but they did have to taste them. They are all grown now and all healthy adults of normal weight and all three of them now eat vegetables. The pickiest one of the bunch now demands creamed spinach at every Thanksgiving dinner and eats salads and spinach on his pizza. Bottom line is that you can't force them to love new foods but you can get them to try them. Then later on, when their palates develop more, they will be open to trying new foods on their own.