Winning over your picky eater is no new topic on this blog, but it's something that many parents continue to struggle with day after day. So this is why I am super excited to share some new healthy eating tips with you straight from two experts in the field (and both sponsors of our blog)! Cai Dixon, co-creator of the Copy-Kids, and Kia Robertson, creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit, have both created award-winning yet simple resources that get kids interested in—and eating!—their fruits and veggies. Both Cai and Kia are fellow moms who feel passionate about helping other parents overcome the typical struggles they face when trying to get their children to eat a varied diet.
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First Off, Set the Tone:
- Be Flexible
What does flexibility look like? It will vary from household to household. Here is what flexibility looks like in my home:
My 5-year-old took a bath first thing when she woke up today. I figured out a few years ago that coupling happy bath-time play with a meal was an excellent way to get her to eat more. First she started with a banana. Then she asked for a second banana. Then I set a divided plate on a low stool next to the tub. The plate contained red cabbage, cauliflower, celery & a cherry tomato – each in its own compartment, because she doesn’t like things to touch. And she ate them all. Yep, veggies for breakfast!
- - Be Creative
Sometimes a story prompt from you is all that is needed to get your child to eat. “Bunnies love carrots. There once was a bunny who ate 100 carrots in one meal. Could you eat 100 carrots?”
Creativity could include arranging a story scene on a plate. A sun, a house, a happy-face designed from the pieces of the meal. You can employ child-friendly dishes & utensils. Candles on a table at mealtimes can make the meal more appealing & pleasant. Lighten things up… move away from familiar norms of “sit-up-straight, eat-your-food, stop-wiggling, no-talking, chew-with-your-mouth-closed.” I’m not suggesting that you abandon good manners. Merely that you make creative efforts to bring joy to the table with optimal nutrition consumption always as the prime goal.
- - Go Easy on Yourself
Give yourself a pat on the back because no matter where you are in this feeding journey you have been doing the best you can with what you know. This parenting gig doesn’t come with a manual - it’s a “learn as you go” job so go easy on yourself!
- - Stop Comparing
Try not to compare yourself to other parents and how they are feeding their kids. Each child is unique and there isn’t one best or right way that works for everyone. It can feel disheartening to think that other parents have got it all figured out and you’re still struggling no matter how hard you try. Just keep learning new recipes, techniques and ideas that you can implement in ways that best fit your family.
- - Be Calm
Before you feed your kids just give yourself a moment to take a deep breath and put a smile on your face. Even if you know the meal might be met with resistance, approach each mealtime as a fresh start. Have confidence that you are providing your kids with a good meal and how much of it they eat and enjoy is up to them. If they reject your new spinach dish it’s not a reflection of your parenting skills or how much they love you.
Try These Suggestions:
- Serving New Food
Trying a new food can be very intimidating for a picky eater. I know it can be hard to understand if you’ve never been a picky eater…what’s the big deal about trying something new, right?! Well it is a very big deal for many different reasons. So when serving something new put the tiniest sample on their plate. When I say tiny I mean microscopic…as in bring a magnifying glass to the table! A teeny shred of lettuce, one grain of wild rice, half a blueberry…you get the picture. I know it sounds silly and actually that’s part of the strategy. Using humor and some fun is a great way to introduce something new. It will improve your chances at getting your picky eater to give it a try and that is half the battle when it comes to picky eating. I think Mary Poppins had the right idea when she said “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun! You find the fun and snap…the job's a game!” Kids love having fun so use that to your advantage and have a laugh together over a kernel of corn!
- - Texture Texture Texture
Did I mention texture? Texture issues are one of the biggest holdups for picky eaters, finding out what textures they like will be very useful information for you. Try serving your picky eater fruits and veggies in different forms and textures. Maybe they like crunchy, or perhaps smooth, some may prefer bumpy (like broccoli). You can achieve different textures by changing how you prepare them - try serving produce steamed, grilled, raw, baked, frozen, juiced, roasted, etc.
- - Keep Trying
I know how disheartening and frustrating it can be to keep serving food over and over again only to have it rejected and even worse, tossed on the floor! But here’s the thing, studies have found that it can take at least 10 exposures to a new food before it is accepted and that number gets a lot higher when dealing with a picky eater. So don’t give up too soon…you’re in the business of training taste buds and that takes a lot of patience and repetition. You can print off a free Today I Tried chart to help you and your kids keep track of how many times they are trying a new food. Once again turning this into something fun can help you successfully stay on track and get your kids on board.
- The contest is open to those with U.S. or Canadian shipping addresses only.
- You have THREE chances to enter the contest by leaving comments below:
- 1st entry: Please leave a comment below sharing your picky eater tip (or frustration!)
- 2nd entry: If you like Copy-Kids on Facebook you can leave another comment below. Just say “like Copy-Kids” on your entry/comment.
- 3rd entry: If you like
- The contest will end at midnight EST on Monday, February 11th.
- The winners will be selected at random and announced on the “100 Days of Real Food” Facebook page as well as emailed directly (so make sure your address is entered correctly in your comments below!). The winner will have 3 days to respond before they are disqualified, and a new winner is chosen.
Kia Robertson is a mom, children’s book author and the creator of the award winning Today I Ate A Rainbow kit that gets kids ASKING to eat their fruits and veggies by turning healthy eating into a fun game! As a former picky eater, Kia is passionate about helping parents overcome the typical struggles they face trying to get their children to eat their fruits and vegetables. Learn more at: https://www.todayiatearainbow.com/
Cai Dixon is a mom and co-creator of Copy-Kids. Copy-Kids makes video content encouraging positive habits in young children by encouraging them to copy other kids. Their debut release is a DVD entitled Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables. In it you'll find children joyfully eating fruits and vegetables. Kids watching it want to join in. It’s that simple. And it’s effective. Find them at: http://copy-kids.com/
Erika says
Like rainbow
Katie says
Like rainbow.
SabrIna says
My 4 year old son is so picky! It is the most frustrating thing. He has a fear of new food to the point where he just won't eat anything. He goes to bed most nights without dinner because he chooses nothing over the food we eat. I need help!!!
Vanessa says
I get frustrated when the little ones get stuck on eating one thing and one thing only! It's tough introducing new foods.
Amy T says
I just keep trying. Sometimes if I don't put it on the kid's plates, but they see it on mine, they will ask. This worked for lettuce last night with one of my three! I did a small victory dance!
Lynn Rahe says
My picky eater is my husband!! I can't get him to eat any fish. He says it is the texture.
Amy Loudenback says
I find my 4 year old (and 14 year old, for that matter) enjoy eating foods they help prepare. There are some great tools out there that make it fun and safe for little ones in the kitchen. I have bought a lot of items from Montessori resource catalogs.
Melissa Reynolds says
My favorite tip is to keep trying! It is the most frustrating thing in the world when I prepare something for my son that I'm just sure he will get excited about...and then he refuses it. I take a deep breath and try again the next day.
CRS says
One child eats a wide range of food and one doesn't. It's frustrating but we feel good on the days he tries something new and likes it. "Our" definition of try...not just a sniff or tongue touch :)
Amy K. says
We usually offer a variety of foods at dinner and ask the kids for their input. Also, if both my husband and I comment that something new tastes good the kids will often try it and offer their feedback as well.
Katie says
Like Copy Kids.
Michelle says
Like copy-kids!
Kelly says
Like rainbow
Jessica says
I find that it helps to have the kids in the kitchen while I'm cooking. Let them use the salad spinner or taste the veggies or fruit as I'm chopping it. The more that they help with the preparation of the meal then the more ownership that they have of it and will want to try it later when it's served.
Angela says
My 19 month old is a pretty good eater, and my husband and I eat very healthy and try to offer a variety of real foods at each meal and only healthy snacks. I feel like I'm just starting out in our real food journey and my frustration is that she has a salt and sweet tooth. I'm trying hard to cut salt in our home but she is already used to veggies canned with salt and foods like oatmeal with lots of sugar. She won't eat healthier options now.
I also liked on facebook: I ate a Rainbow today and Copy Kids.
Thank you!
Charsty says
The best way I have found to get my picky 3 yr old to eat anything new is to provide a dip. Hummis, ranch, sometimes just butter with steamed veggies, she is so much happier and willing to eat if she gets to use her fingers and dip her food.
Jessica McCloud says
I am struggling with whether or not to continue insisting my kids eat x amount of whatever I am serving. My three year old is very underweight, and if I left it up to her she often just would not eat at all. Our biggest struggles are over proteins, like chicken, and of course green vegetables.
Kelly says
Like Copy-Kids
Heidi Kress says
Liked Today I Ate a Rainbow
Erika says
We have three small boys and don't believe in, or have the time for, setting ourselves up for disaster by custom preparing different meals for everyone. Instead, we leave many components of the meal separate so that the boys can select what they want of the available choices. For example, if we make vegetable soup, several of the raw veggies get left out for the ones who don't want broth to touch or prefer crunchy over cooked. I know it is very basic, but it saves a lot of frustration and gets the veggies in their mouths without a power struggle or caving in to demands
elizabeth says
Like Rainbow!
Minden says
When my twins were babies, one had a problem eating textures (she would gag on her food), it made transitioning to solid foods very difficult. My picky eater tip, is give it to them how they like it. My twins are so different. One likes to eat frozen blueberries, one likes them raw. One of them likes to eat Toast with jam, one likes it plain. You might think your child doesn't like something, but it might be the way it is being served. People are amazed at how well our kids eat. I think it is because I'm not afraid to serve them food in different ways. Serve it how they like it. :) "Like copy-kids", "Like rainbow"
Katie says
My 6 y/o son has always had texture issues to the point of inducing gagging and vomiting. We encourgage him to try new foods, but sometimes it's just not worth ruining dinner over.
Alison says
We have a 5 year old daughter that, like any other American child, loves junk food. We do not keep it at our house but when she is at her mothers house, who knows what she gets into. The split household is making the healthy eating and trying new foods extremely difficult
Nicole says
We have a "one bite rule." Our kids eat at least one bite of all the food on their plate. I try to only have one new or iffy item on their plate each meal. I also throw tons of foods into smoothies. I just put collard greens into a yummy one this morning. I told the kids and they loved it. Sounds weird, but it was good - and neon green.
Jodi Harris says
I have a picky eater who is yet to enjoy fresh salads with the rest of the family. So, I make fruit smoothies and add some greens into her diet that way. Such as, fresh kale. They are actually very yummy and the whole family enjoys them!
Heidi Kress says
Liked Today I Ate a Rainbow too ;)
Michelle says
Let them have choices!!
Kelly says
My little guy will not eat any crunchy veggies. Sometimes cooked is a battle too. We have discovered that hummus is a favorite so we are having success dipping cooked veg in homemade hummus!
Michelle Dixon says
My three year old sister wont eat anything thats a veggie, but lately we've been trying comparing what she needs to eat, with what her favorite animals eat. She knows horses eat "leaves" so we tell her she has to act like a horsy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. But hey some success is better than none.
Michelle says
Liked rainbow
Emily says
We eat as a family and if our 5 year old says she won't eat something, she still has to try it (even if it's the tiniest bite) before she's excused. Often after trying something many times over several months, she'll decide she likes it. But we just keep cooking, eating together, enjoying our food and trying lots of different things every week.
Meghan Underwood says
Liked Rainbow
Amy Loudenback says
Like Rainbow!
Cathy says
I'm constantly baffled with my picky eater. And I'm torn about the 'one bite' rule. An article argued that if you force a child to swallow something, they may be less likely to try again (I liken this to being forced to eat something on Fear Factor). So we've been using this 'one taste' rule, with the option to spit it out... which is not going well since she skirts by only licking something or immediately spitting it out before she hardly has a chance to really taste it. It's also clear that once she's decided she won't eat it, even if she may like it after she licks it, she'll refuse to eat it on principle alone. Argh.
elizabeth says
Toppings! Dried fruit, nuts, crumbled cheese...they make eating a spinach salad a breeze!
Angela stallings says
I have a 6 yr old that is extremely picky and a 3 yr old that will eat whatever veggie I give him Trying to get them to eat healthier tho and it's very hard with the busy life that we have. Would LOVE more help and info. Thank you
Katie says
Like Rainbo
Heidi Kress says
My husband and I did a detox (http://wholehealthdesigns.com/detox/) together which was HUGE since he was in some ways more unhealthy than my kids and then we did another... have done a few... our kids have vocabulary around them too now and then we did (perhaps not a great idea, but...) instill a "quarter for trying anything off mom and dad's detox menu" rule... just to open them up to the idea of trying new stuff... sometimes we were pleasantly surprised, even if they don't want more, we continue and I have to imagine, it keeps them thinking about it if nothing else...
Catherine says
It drives me crazy when my kids refuse to eat something they happily ate the day before!!