Picky 7 year old!
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b00b0084
Posts: 729 Member
I am working on eatting smaller portions and adding new foods. I am and always have been a picky eater, but my palate has grown over the years. My son is extremely picky. These are the only foods he will eat: Toast (jelly no butter), grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti os, pb&j (warmed 10sec only, not cold), Spam, candy, strawberries, buscuits, snack cakes, candy, and peppered turkey. He refuses to try anything new. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can get him to try new foods?
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I use the hunger method with my boys... they eat what I cook or they go hungry. MAYBE if they do not finish dinner I will let them have a piece of fruit or a low fat yogurt... but normally they have to finish most of their dinner for that treat.0
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I started using the same method as GorillaNJ....kids eat what I cook other than that the kitchen is closed. I do not have the money or time to cook multiple meals and they will eat healthy. Now if they eat something new and do not like it I will fix them a sandwich or something. If it is something that I know they like or have eaten before They better eat enough to get through the night. If all the meal is eaten without a fuss then they will get a cookie. (frozen kind that takes 12 minutes to cook in convention oven).
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i agree with G....and as a mom i KNOW this is not easy but our kids will not starve and they will eventually eat. our kids are picky because we let them be...they eat those foods because we give it to them. if we do not give it to them, they cannot eat it...
BUT the other thing i would add in there is i woudl start off small cause i mean really, he/she is only seven. so instead of X amount of nuggets, only give him two and then add in something healthy and just stick to your guns mama...its not easy especially when they look so pathetic at us like we're starving them LOL0 -
I tried to be picky but my parents did their method.
Trust me it works.0 -
I use the hunger method with my boys... they eat what I cook or they go hungry. MAYBE if they do not finish dinner I will let them have a piece of fruit or a low fat yogurt... but normally they have to finish most of their dinner for that treat.
I love you.0 -
I am working on eatting smaller portions and adding new foods. I am and always have been a picky eater, but my palate has grown over the years. My son is extremely picky. These are the only foods he will eat: Toast (jelly no butter), grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti os, pb&j (warmed 10sec only, not cold), Spam, candy, strawberries, buscuits, snack cakes, candy, and peppered turkey. He refuses to try anything new. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can get him to try new foods?
He only eats spaghetti o's? Hot dogs? pizza? SPAM? candy? snack cakes? WTF?
No, this is what he eats because this is what's provided for him. SMH0 -
My son is almost exactly the same way, he's just over 8 1/2. This past year, he's changed a lot as far as his stubborness towards at least tasting new foods. One thing I'm not fond of is people lying to their children and "hiding" veggies in meals. I want my kids to eat them without having to trick them into it. For the most part, I can get him to at least try things. I always make things with our dinner that I know he likes, healthy things, but in order for him to eat them he has to try things he says he doesn't like. I make him take at least two bites of the other kinds of foods before I give him the things he likes, if he likes them he usually doesn't ask for the other food because he's full off the new stuff that he discovered is actually good. I also do not give him unhealthy food to begin with like mac & cheese, hot dogs, etc. Sometimes he'll say he doesn't like something but he's never even tried it, or he's tried it years ago. Other times, I know he truly doesn't like something..so those things I do not make him eat. I HATE mushrooms and seafood, I wouldn't want someone forcing those things on me.
Make sure he's eating nutritious foods he does like. He can't live off hot dogs, spaghettios, spam, etc. Make nutritious foods you know he'll eat and throw in a new thing, and tell him he HAS to try it.
My son also loves fresh fruit and eats a lot of veggies. I don't give him cookies and chips for lunches. He gets gets yogurt, fresh fruit and veggies like celery with pb or carrot sticks. I make my own dip with greek yogurt, so its not as bad as sour cream or mayo based dips. We start dinner everyday with a small salad, too. Their snacks when they're home are fruit and yogurt for the most part. At school he takes homemade granola bars, or trail mixes made with nuts and dried fruits for snacks.
Just make sure he's getting nutritious foods in, he will start to come out of it. I give him a multi-vitamin plus iron because he doesn't eat much meat.
I also recently discovered green smoothies...they're just frozen fruit, water and baby spinach (you can use other greens, spinach is the mildest I've tried). You cannot even taste the spinach, my kids LOVE them!
Also, try different cooking methods. Maybe he won't like steamed broccoli, but he'll like oven roasted broccoli.0 -
Shake your head all you want. When you spend 7 years on $200 a month food stamps and 8 of those months homeless that is pretty much all that you can get.I am working on eatting smaller portions and adding new foods. I am and always have been a picky eater, but my palate has grown over the years. My son is extremely picky. These are the only foods he will eat: Toast (jelly no butter), grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti os, pb&j (warmed 10sec only, not cold), Spam, candy, strawberries, buscuits, snack cakes, candy, and peppered turkey. He refuses to try anything new. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can get him to try new foods?
He only eats spaghetti o's? Hot dogs? pizza? SPAM? candy? snack cakes? WTF?
No, this is what he eats because this is what's provided for him. SMH
He used to be way more open to different foods. As a baby he loved anything green: spinach lasagna, chicken and broccoli, ect. He used to love steak and pork chops. The older he got the less he was willing to try. I have tried the "you can only eat what I cook foods" and that resulted in him sitting at the table for 3 hours not eatting anything. I am not the type of person to force a child to do anything. Not for 3 hours at least. Don't think that he gets away with what he wants and doesnt have to do anything he is told, that is not true. His Dr has told me not to worry too much about what he eats because right now he is perfectly healthy and not over weight at all. He is 50 inches and only weighs 60 pounds. He is not a big child. He is very active as well. I am just wanting tips on how to get him to add healthier choices to what he already eats. I could care less if he eats hot dogs and pizza, but I would love to get him to try some celery or carrots with some peanut butter or maybe try eatting a small salad with me a few times a week.0 -
I am working on eatting smaller portions and adding new foods. I am and always have been a picky eater, but my palate has grown over the years. My son is extremely picky. These are the only foods he will eat: Toast (jelly no butter), grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti os, pb&j (warmed 10sec only, not cold), Spam, candy, strawberries, buscuits, snack cakes, candy, and peppered turkey. He refuses to try anything new. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can get him to try new foods?
He only eats spaghetti o's? Hot dogs? pizza? SPAM? candy? snack cakes? WTF?
No, this is what he eats because this is what's provided for him. SMH
does he do the shopping? if you don't buy junk he can't eat it!!0 -
Shake your head all you want. When you spend 7 years on $200 a month food stamps and 8 of those months homeless that is pretty much all that you can get.
I remember being on food stamps and being able to buy different foods than this. Not judging, though, get whatever you wish.His Dr has told me not to worry too much about what he eats because right now he is perfectly healthy and not over weight at all. He is 50 inches and only weighs 60 pounds. He is not a big child. He is very active as well. I am just wanting tips on how to get him to add healthier choices to what he already eats. I could care less if he eats hot dogs and pizza, but I would love to get him to try some celery or carrots with some peanut butter or maybe try eatting a small salad with me a few times a week.
Actually, I am with your doctor. My brother was THE PICKIEST eater ever. Pickier than your 7 year old. Forcing him to eat vegetables never worked. He tried salad when he was 22 and broccoli at 24. Now he is 39 and eats mostly vegetables. He'll get it, but forcing him to eat it seems to be teaching him that vegetables are bad or evil.0 -
When a child has gotten used to certain foods, it's tough to make him eat nothing but healthy foods right away. If it were me, I'd continue to offer his favorites, but start introducing healthier foods gradually, bit by bit. You'll get a lot of tips here I'm sure on different ways to cook & serve it, but do it gradually. For example, I might give him 1/2 of the Spaghetti O's that he's used to, then fill the rest with a vegetable like peas or corn (a typical kid friendly veggie to start).
Patience & diligence! Big pat on the back for wanting to correct this! :flowerforyou:0 -
I cant stand most of the fruits or vegetables out there, but I have tried them lol. I make sure when I eat veggies and fruits that I ask him if he wants some and let him know how good they are. When he is ready he will try them.Actually, I am with your doctor. My brother was THE PICKIEST eater ever. Pickier than your 7 year old. Forcing him to eat vegetables never worked. He tried salad when he was 22 and broccoli at 24. Now he is 39 and eats mostly vegetables. He'll get it, but forcing him to eat it seems to be teaching him that vegetables are bad or evil.0 -
He used to be way more open to different foods. As a baby he loved anything green: spinach lasagna, chicken and broccoli, ect. He used to love steak and pork chops. The older he got the less he was willing to try. I have tried the "you can only eat what I cook foods" and that resulted in him sitting at the table for 3 hours not eatting anything. I am not the type of person to force a child to do anything. Not for 3 hours at least. Don't think that he gets away with what he wants and doesnt have to do anything he is told, that is not true. His Dr has told me not to worry too much about what he eats because right now he is perfectly healthy and not over weight at all.
you are setting it up as a battle of wills... my 6 year old would sit there for a month and scream and fight. That is not how i play the game. When we are done eating we clean up and walk away. I let him leave his plate out for a while if he changes his mind before bed time. I would never force him to sit there.
Few kids are stubborn enough to starve themselves...0 -
I find children are picky because parents gave them too many choices. They use the excuse "they won't eat anything" or "I have to so they don't starve". When a person is hungry they willl eat.
In my family and in most cultures children don't dictate meals. We always sat down as a family and ate a meal together. What ever my Mother put on the plate. I did the same with my children. If I tried to give them something frozen, they would look at me like I was crazy. Fast and processed foods are easy that's why people use them so much and why kids don't know any better.
Just my opinion.0 -
When a child has gotten used to certain foods, it's tough to make him eat nothing but healthy foods right away. If it were me, I'd continue to offer his favorites, but start introducing healthier foods gradually, bit by bit. You'll get a lot of tips here I'm sure on different ways to cook & serve it, but do it gradually. For example, I might give him 1/2 of the Spaghetti O's that he's used to, then fill the rest with a vegetable like peas or corn (a typical kid friendly veggie to start).
Patience & diligence! Big pat on the back for wanting to correct this! :flowerforyou:
I'm with this gal.. She's got the right idea.
Give your child half healthy and half "junk".. Gradually decrease the junk and up the healthy. That way its not such a shock to his system.
Plus he's 7.. and at that age, they want to exert independence anyway and feel like they have a say in things. Do you take him shopping with you? if you do, then use it as an opportunity to show him healthy vs junk food.. I do something like that for every "junk" item he buys, he has to get a healthy item to balance it out or something.. and let him pick but guide his choices.0 -
Shake your head all you want. When you spend 7 years on $200 a month food stamps and 8 of those months homeless that is pretty much all that you can get.I am working on eatting smaller portions and adding new foods. I am and always have been a picky eater, but my palate has grown over the years. My son is extremely picky. These are the only foods he will eat: Toast (jelly no butter), grilled cheese, pizza, hot dogs, spaghetti os, pb&j (warmed 10sec only, not cold), Spam, candy, strawberries, buscuits, snack cakes, candy, and peppered turkey. He refuses to try anything new. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can get him to try new foods?
He only eats spaghetti o's? Hot dogs? pizza? SPAM? candy? snack cakes? WTF?
No, this is what he eats because this is what's provided for him. SMH
Sorry but if I had $200 a month to spend on groceries, I would NOT be buying snack cakes and candy. It drives me absolutely crazy when I go grocery shopping and the people in front of me pay with foodstamps and they are getting chips, soda, cookies, etc. THAT is ridiculous. You do the shopping, if you do not buy the junk he won't eat it. There's nothing wrong with eating hot dogs once in a while. But he needs more nutrition daily.. As far as your doctor telling you not to worry about it. Did you tell your doctor all he eats his junk? My doctor told me not to worry about my son being picky as long as he is eating nutritious. I'm sure if I told him all he'd eat was spam, hotdogs and candy there'd be an issue.
While I commend you for wanting to change his habits, it seems like you are enabling it by purchasing the bad foods. Have you tried having him help you make things? If he helps with it he might be more willing to try it knowing HE made it. Also, there are food pantries all over the place that will help out with the food. Buy frozen fruits/veggies. They are the same (or very close to the same) nutrient wise as fresh. Not having a lot of money to spend is not an excuse.0 -
Eat what I cook or don't eat at all. If they're hungry later, you can always offer a healthy snack.0
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Having them help you prepare the meals is a great way to get them interested in eating them. They like the idea of wanting to eat their creation. Look at Parent's magazine (there are recipes online). I saw a good article recently about making food to go along with children's books. One meal was mashed potato "clouds" with chicken meatballs raining down on a broccoli forrest (from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). He can help make the food and it will be something special that he will remember later. I still remember being little and my mom serving everyone green eggs and ham for dinner. My dad was less than thrilled but I thought it was amazing.
This may be more for a bit younger children, but maybe with some imagination you can think up some meals that go with your particular child's interests. Whatever you do, don't give up. My nephew is 17 and still only eats nuggets, cheese pizza, powdered sugar donuts, biscuits,and French bread with butter. He was thin as a child but now is quite chubby. He has never even tasted spaghetti or a hamburger. Maybe going cold turkey is too harsh for you, but it is true that if the junk isn't in the house he won't have a choice but to eat what you provide. It may be hard initially but it won't last forever and you will be helping him to be so much healthier in the long run. Maybe then he won't end up on here like all of us.0 -
I totally agree with this. Frozen veggies, Beans, rice, and legumes are way cheaper than spaghetti o's and hot dogs. The list goes on. Its the parents choice on what goes in their kids mouth, NOT the child's. Tough love works well, but it does take a lot of time and effort.Not having a lot of money to spend is not an excuse.0 -
Yes his Dr knows what he eats. She was also my pediatrician and has known my family for 27 years. He gets his multi vitamin every day as well. And my son is the type of kid that eats few times a day (maybe 2x) because he is not hungry, then when he is going through a growth spurt he can't seem to eat enough.As far as your doctor telling you not to worry about it. Did you tell your doctor all he eats his junk? My doctor told me not to worry about my son being picky as long as he is eating nutritious. I'm sure if I told him all he'd eat was spam, hotdogs and candy there'd be an issue.
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I would just like to point out that I was asking for tips on adding healthier foods to his existing diet. I was not asking to get bashed for the foods he already eats. I eat the same stuff as him, in small portions, and still manage to lose weight. I can not stand 80% of the health food crap out there. It tastes horrible to me. So yeah my son eats the same stuff as me, but I am more open to certain things. There is a difference between giving me pointers and bashing my already made choices.0
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