My girls are ages 4 & 6. They are both picky eaters. My oldest is the worst. When I asked my pediatrician about it, he told me not to stress. They will eat when they are hungry. So I try to fix healthy meals, usually if one eats really good, the other will hardly eat. I have made rules that neither of them will get sweets if they don't eat the good stuff. If only I could eat like them.....
PEERPUL 4/30/08 10:50 A
Our biggest problem in my household is that our son will "wolf" his food down as quick as possible while his older sister will sit there and pick at it, then they start to fight because he wants her and she won't share. Any advise on getting her to eat faster or him slower. They eventually eat but it makes it hard to have a "nice family dinner"
PEACEMOM 4/29/08 4:01 P
I have FOUR kids, and each one of them is rather picky (including one that is a self-proclaimed vegetarian). I used to stress about meal times, but then I asked for advice from my pediatrician. His advice was great! By his instructions, I only fix one meal for dinner, such as one meat, one starch, and at least one or two hot veggies, but I will always have fresh fruits and veggies on the table also. This way, if you don't like the meat or starch, you have plenty of other healthy choices. I don't serve dessert regularly, nor do I offer any other food besides what is on the table for dinner.
As an incentive for my kids when they were younger, I posted a chart on the wall in the kitchen. Each child had to try ten new foods. When all four kids had eaten ten new foods, then we would celebrate with a fun activity.
ROBYNHOME 4/28/08 7:32 A
my girl loves sweets - candy. first she has to try things. If she doesn't like what I'm serving - i will sometimes offer her Peanut Butter and apple/celery.
SARALD5 4/24/08 2:47 P
My twin girls used to be like that and sometimes they still are pretty picky. They will be 4 in July. I also only make one meal, they eat if they are hungry enough. Some things they like are crunchy tacos(I make those at least once a week). Grilled fish...talapia and salmon mostly. Baked chicken and rice. They like corn and green beans,potatoes, sometimes brocolli. Mac n cheese (I know that is not the best thing). Yogurt, cheese cubes, string cheese. They love cereal and want it all day so after each meal I will let them have that if they want (they are in a honey nut cheerio phase). Burgers and sausage. I don't know if yall eat red meat, though. Good luck I know how hard it is to feed a picky eater. My girls are TINY for their age so I used to freak out cause they couldn't afford to skip a meal, but they have finally come around.
MARYCMCGREGOR 4/24/08 11:59 A
I've tried a couple of things to make sure my kids eat healthy.
1) I only make one meal. If they don't like something, I won't force them to eat it, but I am not making a sperate meal for everyone. 2) I tell them what it is that I am making. My SIL has very picky eaters and she tells them everything she makes is chicken to get them to eat it. I think it's better that they know what it is they're getting! 3) When I am not rushed to make dinner- I let them help as much as possible. They can do things like pick which vegetables we are going to have, help me meausre water, milk, etc... 4) With new foods, we have a rule that they have to try as many bites as they are in age (my 5 year old tries 5 bites & the 3 year old tries 3 bites). If they still don't like it, then they don't have to eat it- but sometimes the biggest hurdle to a new food is getting them to actually taste it, and once they have eaten a few bites they usually like it enough to finish it.
GSANDD1 4/22/08 9:12 A
At one point when my three sons were 4,6 and 7, I wanted to try new veggies. So I gave them a dime for everytime they ate their veggies. They had money for when the ice cream man came around. Give them some type of incentive....
RBRASHER 4/21/08 2:24 P
Have you thought about taking a mommy and me cooking class to get her more involved? Maybe that'd spark an interest.
MRSFOOTE2B 4/20/08 6:28 P
I don't have any kids of my own, but I am a preschool teacher, so I know first hand about picky eaters. I encourage all the kids to eat. I'll remind them that the next meal is a long time away (long to them anyway) and they might want to eat something so their bellies don't feel hungry. If a child says they don't like something, I'll ask if they've ever tried it or if they've tried it recently. I'll say, "you haven't tried green beans since you were little, now you're a big boy/girl. How about trying them with me?" then if they agree, I'll count to 3 and we'll both take a bite. I also ask the kids what kinds of foods they do like/eat. I work at a head start and we eat family style, so the kids put their food on the plate. We do have rules about how much they can have to start. For instance, we'll say 2 chicken nuggets to start, then if you're hungry you can have 2 more. Since your daughter tried a carrot when she was involved in the garden, you should definitely involve her more in the cooking/plating process. She might get interested in her food after all. If she doesn't, that's ok because she eats when she's hungry. If you're that worried about her getting a balanced diet, have her take a vitamin.
*Sorry this was a novel!
GONZATI 4/20/08 1:44 P
Some kids (like my youngest) get overwhelmed by too much food on their plate. A child's stomach is only as big as their fist. YOu should not serve her more than like 1/4 cup of any one food. Give her only a 1/4 of a chicken breast. If you cut back the servings and encourage her to at least try each thing on her plate, that helps. Let her know that she doesn't have to eat everything, but she must try one bite of each thing. Also, start cutting back on her juice and milk consumption. She should only be allowed milk and juice at the table with a meal and only 4 ounces. After that, she should only be allowed water, period.
THere is a book called "Fuss busters" that I looked through at the library that has a bunch of creative ideas.
Tiffini
DANIIELLEE 4/20/08 12:11 P
My daughter is four years old and food is not her favourite thing. We've made some adjustments by eating at the table verses in front of the tv. But my daughter still doesn't eat much. I try not to draw too much attention to her not eating as I think she should. When she is hungry she tells me. She loves salads (thank god). I guess my problem is how do I get her to eat her green veggies and carrots.
We actually have a vegetable garden and she ate the 1st carrot because she helped in the garden so that was exciting.
Am I making too big a deal or should I let her eat when she is hungry enough to eat.
