How do you get good food into picky children?

stumblinthrulife

The only two lies I tell my daughter -

Santa exists.
There's only tomatoes in the spaghetti sauce daddy makes.

Seriously, it's almost impossible to get her to eat veg. I don't want her to have a bad relationship with food, so I don't force her to eat. I have only one rule around food - you try it when it's put in front of you, if you don't like it, you can leave it. I then will serve things multiple times, hoping that one of these days the old "it takes ten tries to like something" theory will actually frikking work.

What sneaky strategies do you have to feed your kids vegetables without them knowing?

sarahmichelle91xx

I hide peas and diced carrots in mashed potato which works for me, also I found making a funny face out of the vegetables on their plates makes it more appealing and they eat it, or you could try having them 'help' cook it, mine always eat it when they have helped.

MadameLAL

My kids are older now, but I recall making a lot of soups which I pureed in the blender. They loved creamy butternut soup, plus cream of cauliflower soup the best, even though they wouldn't touch actual squash or cauliflower.

KenosFeoh

My grandson (4) is one of the worst. He'll see microscopic things in his food "what's that green thing?" when there's nothing and absolutely refuse to have a single bite. Other than squeezing his cheeks to force his lips apart (which I admit I did once), there's no way to enforce a rule that he has to try a bite. He won't.

MemphisKitten

Jessica Seinfeld has a GREAT cookbook that teaches you how to sneak good foods into just about everything kids eat.

IronSmasher

Hunger's good kitchen.

But yes, blending, involvement of food preparation or fancy presentation are all good tactics.

cwolfman13

My toddler is the same way...he loves his fruit though, guess he gets that from daddy. So far we've only been able to get him to eat two vegetables, peas and cucumber (no skin)...and even then, it's only a few bites. It took quite a few tries with those ones though. Now I'm working on wilted spinach but he just picks it up with his fingers and gives me an I'm disgusted look and lets it fall back to his plate.

mikey1976

sorry i'm no help i'm one of those picky eaters will be for life but you can look it up change the tast like sweet potatos my mom found away to make it tast like pumpkin but since i know it was sweet potato to begin with i wouldn't eat it i tried it

pixtotts

I agree with the hide stuff... some good ideas on this site (but spread out after the first couple ) - http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-hide-veggies-in-kids-favorite-foods_3656348.bc


or depending on how clever your child is.. lie... my cousin would "only eat chicken" so they told her everything was chicken... she would eat beef if they said it was chicken... and I treally hated eggs...bu loved "yellow fluffy stuff" more commonly known as scrambled eggs :P
x

chevy88grl

My real dad was notorious for sneaking things into other foods to try and get me to eat it. I hated it and I truly believe it made me not trust him OR food (I find that I have to dissect things in order to know what is in them). I would never, ever hide stuff my kids don't like in something else nor would I want someone to do it to me again. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I wish people would stop trying to force picky eaters to eat. It is bothersome. (I have a picky eater child too and I never forced her to eat stuff she didn't want. She took vitamins and we called it even).

florymonde

I never tried anything sneaky, but I did make my kids try a few bites of everything served. And I require at least one fruit or vegetable for lunch and dinner.

When they were little, during the summer I'd take them to the local farmer's market and let them each pick out a fruit or vegetable and we'd take them home and make dinner. Maybe it was corn on the cob, apples and grapes, but it's still pretty healthy!

I still try to serve a variety, as we each like different veggies; some of us like them cooked, some like them raw.

lamos1

I didn't read anyone else response, but I think the best way is to make her a smoothie and put fruit and vegatables in it. Add some spinach, carrots, bananas and blueberries with some vanilla yogurt with milk or juice. That should do the trick, well only if she likes smoothies.

meerkat70

Do you eat together with your children?

pixtotts

My real dad was notorious for sneaking things into other foods to try and get me to eat it. I hated it and I truly believe it made me not trust him OR food (I find that I have to dissect things in order to know what is in them). I would never, ever hide stuff my kids don't like in something else nor would I want someone to do it to me again. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I wish people would stop trying to force picky eaters to eat. It is bothersome. (I have a picky eater child too and I never forced her to eat stuff she didn't want. She took vitamins and we called it even).

ah but... if your child only ate pizza and ice cream wouldnt you have an issue with it?
x

wait_loss

I am not going to make any friends in this post. But here it goes.

Now there are Deceptively Delicious by Jerry Seinfeld's wife. But I must say stop being a short order cook request at least three bites of a food and re introduce it again a month later. It takes children a while to develop there tastes. Try raw over cooked veggies with dips or salad dressings. Try and remember when you were a kid and the foods you did not really like. For me it was mushrooms and peas. Until an aunt did not boil the peas for an hour. This showed my mom that I would eat if not over cooked.

You could ask her to describe what she does not like about the taste to see if this is a taste thing or just I don't want to eat that. If it is a control thing. Put the plate in the fridge and when hungry try it again.
Skipping a meal is not being a bad parent make. I know easier said than done. Just try again later. But don't be a short order cook.

I wish you the best.

rubixcyoob

Yeah, I agree, don't hide stuff in your kids food because it could lead to disorders later in life.

My son is two and can be a great eater at times (tries foods, eats just about anything you give him), there are times he can be unbelievably picky and will only eat chicken nuggets, or pasta from a packet etc.

I just let him have what he wants in those cases, it might not be the most nutritious, but in the grand scheme of what he eats, it's not that big a proportion. Plus I would rather want my child eating and wanting to eat, than forcing food on my child and putting them off for good.

Although I won't lie to my son, and he wouldn't know if I was given his age, sometimes I just don't tell him what something is. Tonight we had chicken stroganoff and there was cut of red and orange pepper in it - he asked what it was and I just replied with "dinner", so he ate it.

EDIT: I also second the dips and dressings ideas - sometimes I cannot get my son to eat until I put ketchup or heinz bbq sauce on the plate. Sure, that may not be the best anyway, but if he eats his carrots and potatos dipped into a bit of bbq then he'll damn well have the sauce.

florymonde

And, being a picky eater myself, I do make sure my kids see me eating things that I don't like. But not raw onions or celery. That's taking it a bit too far.

My daughter, however, loves celery, so we usually have some in the fridge!

stumblinthrulife

My real dad was notorious for sneaking things into other foods to try and get me to eat it. I hated it and I truly believe it made me not trust him OR food (I find that I have to dissect things in order to know what is in them). I would never, ever hide stuff my kids don't like in something else nor would I want someone to do it to me again. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I wish people would stop trying to force picky eaters to eat. It is bothersome. (I have a picky eater child too and I never forced her to eat stuff she didn't want. She took vitamins and we called it even).

I certainly respect that sentiment. But it's not like I'm tricking her into eating a meal she doesn't like, or that's harmful to her. She love's the spaghetti sauce I make, simply because her belief that it's only tomatoes allows her to get over the psychological barrier she has against all things green. The sauce is blended, so she's not going to be merrily eating spaghetti sauce and end up chewing on an inch square chunk of celery.

TrailRunner61

It is true that kids will eat what has been put in front of them. Good or bad! I know a child who eats junk because that is what his family buys and they wonder why he won't eat the 'good' stuff. Another child I know that is 2, tries to steal romaine lettuce from me and begs for oranges when he's here. So,, if they have healthy choices and you phase out the undesirable stuff, eventually they will eat. Like someone else said, puree veggies and add them to soups, sauces, etc. If you have a blender, put spinach in smoothies but don't let them see you do it! The green is easily disguised with blueberries. You can add carrots to almost anything. I put them in chicken salad, tuna salad, pizza & spaghetti sauce (homemade), soups and even bread. Add pumpkin or pureed squash to chili. I also use low sodium V8 in my chili instead of plain tomato juice.
See a nutritionist. They have a million ideas to help transition your entire family to eat healthier.
ETA: I should also mention that when I ended up with a 2 yr old picky eater, I would just put whatever I made on all of their plates. If they tried it, good, if not. Oh well. If you make a huge issue out of it, they will be more reluctant to try it. Eventually they grow up and eat EVERYTHING in the house.

Good luck!

felice03

Unfortunately, I have come to the "you will eat it" senerio with my daughter, who is four. She has gotten to the point where she would outright refuse to try anything new (and a lot of times old standbys I know she likes). She now gets a very small portion of the "new" item that she must try...and not just a miniscle bite or lick...she must eat what is given (usually equal 3-4 real bites). If then, she doesn't like it she can have something else (within reason, I am not cooking an entire new meal for her). I am not serving her anything exotic that she shouldn't like...she just needs the push to try things. I have not gotten to the hiding stage yet, but that is coming....very soon.

gallagirl05

I agree with IronSmasher and others: deception, involvement, and fancy presentation seem to be the keys. I don't have any kids, but I have an almost strictly meat-and-potatoes boyfriend. I've gotten him to try -- and like! -- things he never would've thought to eat before we met. He loves my black bean tofu burgers, spaghetti squash spaghetti, and "Delicata Patata" sauteed veggies, which are all mixing "weird" ingredients into what he already likes. You could also try adding veggies into smoothies. Just watch out for the spinach and kale additions (too much can give your kiddles diarrhea). Good luck!

stumblinthrulife

Do you eat together with your children?

Yes. All meals are ate at the dining table, with no television or other distractions. I do not allow eating meals on the couch in front of the TV.

katy_trail

have you tried using dips?

yogurt, hummus, dressing...

also, if you can get her to try hummus, she could eat it with tortilla chips or on a sandwich.
the chickpeas are super healthy
and you can put in her fav. flavors
roasted red pepper is especially tastey
there are hundreds of variations.

stumblinthrulife

I never tried anything sneaky, but I did make my kids try a few bites of everything served. And I require at least one fruit or vegetable for lunch and dinner.

When they were little, during the summer I'd take them to the local farmer's market and let them each pick out a fruit or vegetable and we'd take them home and make dinner. Maybe it was corn on the cob, apples and grapes, but it's still pretty healthy!

I still try to serve a variety, as we each like different veggies; some of us like them cooked, some like them raw.

From as soon as she could walk, Amelia has helped me with the grocery shopping, helped find different produce, picked out things to try, etc... She even became known to the assistants who would see her looking around and say "So, what does dad have you looking for today?". Unfortunately it didn't translate to her actually wanting to eat any of it.

vim_n_vigor

hiding the food doesn't help them change habits. I do add extra veggies to a lot of food, but not really to hide it. My kids have to try everything on their plates, even if it is one bite. We try different ways of preparing the different fruits and veggies. I have one kid that only likes raw carrots and one that likes them cooked (frozen or fresh is ok, but not canned). We figured it out by having them try things different ways. They also 'help' pick out and make a decent amount of our food. We started them this way with food from the time they started on solids.

IronSmasher

My toddler is the same way...he loves his fruit though, guess he gets that from daddy. So far we've only been able to get him to eat two vegetables, peas and cucumber (no skin)...and even then, it's only a few bites. It took quite a few tries with those ones though. Now I'm working on wilted spinach but he just picks it up with his fingers and gives me an I'm disgusted look and lets it fall back to his plate.

With the really young I'd go for a constant exposure approach, and whilst they can't cook are cut food, they can help serve/arrange food on plates, design salads etc. The balance is not making a big deal about vegetables without ending up with a child that refuses to eat vegetables.

Often when I've experienced children that won't eat certain foods, it's absolutely nothing to do with the food, but the relationship with the parent and a struggle for control and independence. They'd happily eat someone elses carrots or sweetcorn etc round a friend'shouse.

The real trouble is when the child starts to associate a food with a fight with their care giver.

steveinct

Most people really don't want an answer to this question because it means they won't get their "goodies" either. Get rid of all foods high in sugar or starch until the child learns that veggies and meats can fill all voids. Veggies can be sweet, crispy, savory, spicy, or anything you want them to be depending on how they are prepared. Yes, that means get rid of the noodles. Get rid of the chips, popcorn, crackers or pretzels. No soda in the house. No candy. No sweet juices (get low sodium veggie juice if the rascal wants something other than water or milk). Cut back or eliminate sweet fruits for a little while. No prepackaged foods. Once the sugar (and chemicals if you are giving them soda or prepackaged foods) is out of their system, real food will start to taste good to them.

The sad reality is that many children who are "picky eaters" are really just addicts. Real food doesn't have the caffeine and sugar hit of a nice soda or the sodium kick and high glycemic rush of a chip. Prepackaged foods are loaded with chemicals to make you crave them. Etc. Etc.

Unfortunately, you must get the crap out of your house because kids like that are smart. They know you aren't going to let them starve to death and you need to be able to look them in the eye, with all honesty in yours, and say "Hunny, we do not have any of that in the house. We only have this, this or that. Which would you like?"

Part 2 is almost equally as important. Tell them to turn off the TV, computer or video game and come help Mommy in the kitchen. As noted above, show them the things you have and let them decide which one you are going to eat for dinner. Have them help peel, chop, etc. If they are real young, this could be standing on the chair next to you and have them move things from a cutting board (that you chopped) into another bowl, EVEN IF YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER BOWL! If they are involved, they are creating. When they create, the have pride. When they have pride in their creation, they are more apt to eat it.

Good luck!

MightyDomo

I honestly resorted to two actions and it works like a charm! May not work for everyone but certainly works for my picky little girl.

She has a choice to go hungry and straight to bed from the table or eat what is on her plate.

If she had been eating well all day I give a different option, she has to try a bite or she will sit there till she finishes her whole plate, I even remind her that I can wait all night for her to do it and then she caves. Hates it, complains, says how gross it is but she does eat.

How I used to get some of my old exes that didn't like vegetables is by using veggie ground beef in soups and tacos (they had NO clue it wasn't meat) and put veggies in milkshakes, you need to add a little more sweet when doing so but they never notice!

vim_n_vigor

My real dad was notorious for sneaking things into other foods to try and get me to eat it. I hated it and I truly believe it made me not trust him OR food (I find that I have to dissect things in order to know what is in them). I would never, ever hide stuff my kids don't like in something else nor would I want someone to do it to me again. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I wish people would stop trying to force picky eaters to eat. It is bothersome. (I have a picky eater child too and I never forced her to eat stuff she didn't want. She took vitamins and we called it even).

ah but... if your child only ate pizza and ice cream wouldnt you have an issue with it?
x

My kids don't do that because we rarely have either in the house. They will eat what the family eats for dinner with few exceptions.

stumblinthrulife

Most people really don't want an answer to this question because it means they won't get their "goodies" either. Get rid of all foods high in sugar or starch until the child learns that veggies and meats can fill all voids. Veggies can be sweet, crispy, savory, spicy, or anything you want them to be depending on how they are prepared. Yes, that means get rid of the noodles. Get rid of the chips, popcorn, crackers or pretzels. No soda in the house. No candy. No sweet juices (get low sodium veggie juice if the rascal wants something other than water or milk). Cut back or eliminate sweet fruits for a little while. No prepackaged foods. Once the sugar (and chemicals if you are giving them soda or prepackaged foods) is out of their system, real food will start to taste good to them.

The sad reality is that many children who are "picky eaters" are really just addicts. Real food doesn't have the caffeine and sugar hit of a nice soda or the sodium kick and high glycemic rush of a chip. Prepackaged foods are loaded with chemicals to make you crave them. Etc. Etc.

Unfortunately, you must get the crap out of your house because kids like that are smart. They know you aren't going to let them starve to death and you need to be able to look them in the eye, with all honesty in yours, and say "Hunny, we do not have any of that in the house. We only have this, this or that. Which would you like?"

Part 2 is almost equally as important. Tell them to turn off the TV, computer or video game and come help Mommy in the kitchen. As noted above, show them the things you have and let them decide which one you are going to eat for dinner. Have them help peel, chop, etc. If they are real young, this could be standing on the chair next to you and have them move things from a cutting board (that you chopped) into another bowl, EVEN IF YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER BOWL! If they are involved, they are creating. When they create, the have pride. When they have pride in their creation, they are more apt to eat it.

Good luck!

Unfortunately there is an assumption here that I'm not already doing all of these things.

Amelia *loves* to help cook. She begs to help cook, in fact, and I love cooking with her. He mom similarly loves baking with her.

She's always grocery shopped with me, and she's been loading the cart with produce since she was two. She knows her way around the produce section of the grocery store nearly as well as the produce employees, and better than most of the cashiers ("This is kale, right?" "Help me out here, chard?" "What are these? Beets?"). She's even picking up on different cuts of meat at the butchers now.

Our house always has a full on selection of vegetables and fruit. She just won't eat 90% of it.

What she will eat (arrived at through long and painful experimentation) -

Tomato based sauces, as long as she doesn't recognize veges in them.
Apples, as long as they are peeled.
Oranges, depending on how she feels.
Bananas, depending on how she feels.
Carrots, as long as she has ranch to dip them in.
Shredded iceberg lettuce, so long as it's mixed with liberal amounts of ranch dressing and cheese.
50/50 Mashed potato and cauliflower, so long as I don't tell her about the cauliflower.
Most meats.
Whole grain bread.
Cheerios, but only with 2% milk. Skimmed milk 'looks purple'. No big deal, kids need more fat than grown ups anyway.
Whole grain pasta.
Three color vege pasta, but not the green ones.
Cauliflower cheese, but you have to watch the sneaky madam, or she'll just eat the cheese sauce.
Brocolli cheese, if you get her on a really, really good day, and suitably cajole her.
Cheese (by the bucket load, if she was allowed).
And she's a kid, so of course candy, of which she is allowed one small piece a day.

To drink she is allowed 1 4oz glass of apple juice a day. Beyond that, it's water or milk.

She's not been to a fast food joint in over two months, and generally prefers Subway anyway.

The rule is that she can get a simple meal in replacement of something you don't like, so long as she has at least tried it. Now that she's old enough, she'll have to prepare that simple meal herself, making a simple sandwich or something. Between meals, she can eat as much fruit as veg as she likes but nothing else.

Writing all that out, I guess maybe she's not so bad by picky kid standards. I just wish I could get her to sit with us and eat the same food we do instead of having such a limited repertoire. Resorting to hiding foods is as much about allowing *us* to have the diet that we want, without having to serve up different meals for her.

rubixcyoob

I wouldn't worry about her being picky with foods, maybe just a bit fussy as to what meals she eats - but nutrition wise, it seems good.

To get my son to eat what and when we do, we put his food on the plate and then leave it at his place setting at the table while we sit there. He eventually comes back and eats it because he likes being part of it and feeling like a grown up. Although he is 2 so it might not work with older children.