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/
Tanya C. says
My tip - my kids often try something new at non-traditional meal times when they are not necessarily "expected" to eat something. If I just whip out a new food and start snacking on it myself, they will usually wander up to me and ask about it - and before I know they've taken 1/2 my food :-) No pressure, they are just curious about it and I act like it's no big deal.
Kara says
liked "rainbow"
Bianca says
like Rainbow
Melissa Pasko says
If I serve new foods to the kids with it cut up into bite sized pieces and stuck onto a tooth pick, they will try it every time. They might not like it, but they will try!
Kara says
like "Copy-Kids"
Michelle says
We emphasize to our four kids that tastes change, so we have a one-bite policy. When they say they don't like something, we say some version of the following, "It's ok that today you don't like it, but the next time you eat it you might like it because tastes change." We are now reaping the rewards of this practice because our kids' diets are steadily expanding, even though a couple of them have gone through phases of being quite picky.
donna marchand says
Today I ate a Rainbow
Leia says
I mix things my son doesn't like with things he does which usually helps getting him to eat it. For instance, he normally doesn't like any baby food with spinach in it. But if I mix in a little applesauce or yogurt, he'll gobble it right down!
Velvet says
Liked Today I Ate a Rainbow
Amanda says
I liked Today I Ate a Rainbow
Janet Gess says
Being flexible is so important! Last week, I asked my kids to pick 2 "orange" selections and 1 "green" selection from a plate of oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, green apples, and green beans. So they had to pick 3 different items. Our picky eater asked if he could pick 1 orange and 2 greens instead. OF COURSE!!! I am just so thrilled with his progress, a year ago, he would have gagged on all of these just thinking about it. :-)
Keep the tips coming!
Kalyn says
My tip is just to keep trying - the things they like change over time, so don't give up!
Velvet says
Liked Copy-Kids
Kara says
Pureeing the vegetables and "hiding" them in different foods :)
treebrick says
My picky eater is now eleven and finally more adventurous...but he is still so opposed to things I think he'd love if he'd give them a second chance...frustrating.
Kellie says
Like "Copy Kids"
Tanya C. says
Like Copy Kids
Velvet says
I have found that letting kids choose from fresh fruits and veggies at the store or farmers market helps them to try new things willingly. We love to eat the rainbow here!
Tanya C. says
Like Rainbow
Heidi Daniel says
Blend greens and other veggies into a smoothie!
Kellie says
Please enter me in the contest - my picky eater tip is making the food look as appealing as possible and serving it often so that it becomes the norm!
rebecca navarro says
rainbow
Debra says
like copy kids
Crystal R. says
Just keep trying, is my best advice. Some days my kids will eat things, some days they won't, but you have to give them the option.
Caitlin says
Tip- Make it fun! Be creative in introducing new foods in a way that will make your child excited about it!
Ginny says
My kids love, love, love fresh fruits....but veggies is another ball game. I have a hard time offering a variety of veggies because all they want to eat is carrots and broccoli. Lately I have been sneaking vegitables into other foods like zuccini muffins.
Bethany says
like rainbow on facebook
Amber M says
Oh... and "Like Rainbow"
Jessica says
Last night I recorded my picky eater eating a new food with my cell phone. He thought it was great, he loves making videos to watch later. He ate his whole plate with out fuss!
Rayna says
Like Rainbow
Christi D says
Persistence and creativity!
rebecca navarro says
My four year old is very particular with what he'll eat and very active. My 2 year old is going to weigh more than him soon! Thankfully he does like vegetables so we buy big bags of frozen ones (fresh when in season) and go through lots of peas and lima beans lol. I make big batches of carab/applesauce whole wheat muffins and healthy pancakes to have on hand. Would love to figure out how to get more protein in him, think he's becoming vegetarian.
Bethany says
like copy kids
Kori says
Like copy kids
Rayna says
Like copy kids
Shannon says
I have a three year old son and a 10 month old daughter. My son is awesome at eating fruit but I struggle with veggies. I've introduced some new healthier alternatives like farro with chopped broccoli and brown rice - he wouldn't even try the farro and told me he didn't like the brown rice after one bite. He thinks he doesn't like it, just by the way it appears. (Gotta say I'm right there with him, he's my mini-me!). And I'm excited my daughter for the most part tries anything in front of her. Thenk goodness for the "I think I'll put that in my mouth" stage!
Bernadette says
It can be frustrating when you're starting this change after choosing and offering the not so good stuff but it's worth it and the more we present the good, the easier it is :)
like Copy-Kids
like Rainbow
Andrea says
My daughter is a pasta kid, trying to get veggies in at a meal is hard. But she will eat peas and corn for a snack as long as its frozen, she thinks its funny to eat them frozen.
Bethany says
I bring all sorts of healthy foods into my house and felt like their tantalizing colors didn't even tempt my toddler. But I keep trying and will NOT feed my family chemicals and preservatives. Thanks for such a great prize to win!
Amber M says
even after they like something, after a while they seem to change their minds.... hard to keep up with what they like at the moment....