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/
Kate says
I always offer one food I know my picky eater will eat. Avocado is a big hit in our family. It's good to dip other veggies in or eat on its own.
Melissa Baldwin says
I've figured out my picky child doesn't like the consistency of some foods. I'm hoping she gets over it soon!! It's either that or hide it in a muffin :)
Bianca says
My daughter has to try each veggie and fruit I offer her. Our household rule is - you don't like it you don't have to eat it but you have to try. If she really dislikes it she will have a sip of water to swallow it down. She keeps telling her friends who visit to at least try it and it is not that bad. :) My husband tells her stories at dinner time and she will eat and eat even the food I thought she wouldn't touch. :)
Rayna says
I try different "muffins" and incorporate familiar and new veggies. Broccoli balls are a favorite, but broccoli on a plate doesn't get touched. Same with some other veggie. Incorporating them into something else makes them a hit!
Debra says
Having the kids help make meals makes them more willing to try new things.
Janell says
Make dinner an event. Use a tablecloth and light a candle. Changes the mood of my kids and they are excited to sit at the table.
Kori says
I make green smoothies for "myself", put them in a special glass with a pretty straw... And then my girls take turns drinking it up!
Maran says
like copy kids
Cortney says
My picky eater is my husband! He has been picky all his life, the first time he had sauce on his spaghetti he 19! He has come a long way, but getting him to get enough fruits, vegetables, or any new food, is so dang hard! I keep trying though. I want him to understand that the quality of our food is important. I have liked copy kids and today i ate a rainbow on facebook!!
Andrea says
It's all about patience and consistency--from the start! We never made 'special' dinners for our girls, they ate what we ate or they didn't eat. This is hard for parents with established problems to do, but a great tip for those with babies just starting out. Remember, you set the tone of what is 'normal'
Jeri Littlefield says
I am excited because our family has recently started down the real food path, and I am thrilled when my toddlers ask for more fruit and vegetables! No great opposition yet! Thank you for this fantastic blog - it is a wealth of knowledge and I am "eating" it up!
Marie says
like Rainbow
Tonya Prim says
like Rainbow
Maran says
like rainbow
Jennifer says
Tip - Try and try again. Always offer a "rejected" food more than once.
"like Copy-Kids"
“like Rainbowâ€
Tonya Prim says
like Copy-Kids
donnameda says
We just cook different foods and reintroduce them at different times..now she is trying a lot more foods..happy
Ruth says
like Rainbow
Tonya Prim says
My picky eater made up his own recipe...Now I can count on him to eat that!
Nina Vomero says
Like Rainbow
Crystal W says
My 3 1/2 year old refuses to try new foods. I am in need of some new ways to approach food with him
Crystal W says
Like Copy-Kids
Crystal W says
Like Rainbow
Nina Vomero says
Like Copy-Kids
Elizabeth Godschalx Wisniewski says
like Copy-Kids
Nicole says
My 2 year old uses to eat everything, but seems to want to eat the sane thing all the time now.
Nina Vomero says
My daughter has always been picky. But she really goes through waves. Some weeks or months will be much better than others. She started having good waves in her 2's. :) Sending you positive eating vibes!
Ruth says
I liked CopyKids on Facebook!
cathie orozco says
love all of the encouragement on your blog!! letting your secret out that you have a picky eater can open up conversations of encouragement!!
Joan says
I love the idea of the " today I tried.. chart. One of mine will eat a lot of veggies and few fruits and the other won't touch veggies, except broccoli. Exasperating! But I keep trying.
Elizabeth Godschalx Wisniewski says
My 5 year old is super picky about not eating "grown up foods" or anything new, so I try every trick in the book. One that almost always works is putting something on homemade pizza, or letting him pick out a new food at the store.
Lori says
Like rainbow
Ashley Shriver says
Since I started the real food challenge, my 3 and 5 year old just look at food and won't even try it. It is easy for me to get frustrated when they don't even give it a chance, but I keep trying. Hopefully this summer when we have our garden, it will be fun to eat what we grow!
Ashley Shriver says
Like Copy-Kids
Ashley Shriver says
Like Today I ate a Rainbow
Maran says
With my first kid, I have trouble because most of what she knows is processed food. I have served my second only real foods, and he has no problem eating them. As for my first, I just dumped the junk, and she had no choice but to eat healthy.
Marie says
like Copy-Kids
Ruth says
My 5-yr old is extremely picky, and it seems like so much of the good advice wasn't written about him! But we keep trying and sometimes we have little victories.
Nina Vomero says
Reading this is what I needed today! I need to be more patient! I also need to think ahead, when I'm in a hurry last minute getting food together it never works out. Thank you for this! And of course always fun to try to win something! :) -Nina
Marie says
Tip - stay patient and keep offering.
Good point on texture - my daughter didn't like the yogurt I made, so I froze it into a frozen pop and she loved it!
dettes says
Like Today I ate a Rainbow
Lori B. says
I fed my 4 year old chick-fil-A nuggets DAILY for almost a year because I thought that he was a picky eater. Turns out, I was a lazy feeder. He was allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, and soy so I thought "what the heck am I supposed to feed him?" The answer was we would go through weeks of hell just trying to feed him plain real chicken and broccoli cooked really well. And then tortillas with refried black beans dipped in salsa. Over time we branched out to other items. Now 2 years later he will eat almost everything, BUT a lot of times I still hand feed him. It sucks, but I HAVE to or he will grow up unhealthy.
Kelly says
Every night at dinner, I ask my children to eat at least 3 bites of each food. Even if they didn't like it the last time, they need to take 3 bites this time. I applaud them when they take their 3 bites. Sometimes they like the food immediately, sometimes it takes 5-10 times before they like something, and there are some things that they never end up liking. (Obviously, if they take one bite and it tastes absolutely horrible to them, I do not make them continue).
Shannon Richardson says
I liked Today I Ate A Rainbow on Facebook
Lynete Adams says
I would love to Win!! MY grand daughter is 2 she eats good some days then other day she dont eat much!!