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/
Karen says
'liked' Rainbow
summer says
Liked copy kids
Jenn says
What a fabulous book idea!
Tiffany Daniel says
Try try again! Often my daughter will spit food out of her mouth, but then pick it up at another time and eat it just fine. I don't freak out if she doesn't eat something I just offer her something else and try the other food later.
Jennifer says
Liked Rainbow
summer says
Liked rainbow
Nicki says
I've got one daughter that prefers crunchy and one that prefers smooth. But I can always get them to eat a smoothy Popsicle. I blend up problem foods (fruits and veggies) and freeze them. Can't get enough and think its a treat.
summer says
When u ask 100 times for them to try something only to find out they liked it after all.
Shannon Jacobs says
Like rainbow
Mindy says
Frustration: Just knowing where to start. I am so glad that I have recently found your website. I have decided to take it one day at a time!! Thanks!
Karen says
I continue to offer a variety of vegetables to my girls. I have one who is a little 'extra' picky. She would live off of macaroni and cheese if she had it her way. I'll make it once a week for her but she has to let me 'sneak' in a veggie. Her favorites are steamed carrot or steamed cauliflower pureed with a little milk and cheese. She actually asks for me to make it this way!
Lacey C. says
My kids have to take two polite bites of something they don't think they like. Most of the time, they end up liking it anyway. :)
Amy W says
like Rainbow
Kara says
Like ate a rainbow
Elizabeth L. says
"liked" Copy-Kids :)
jennifer says
i try to offer a variety at meals and introduce a food a different way if possible....for instance..she didn't like broccoli the other day so I tried it again a couple days later sprinkled with parmesean cheese. She goes through days where she loves something and the next day she decides she doesn't. So I don't force it. I just keep putting it on her plate when we have it.
Natalie says
I tell my daughter that fruit and veggies make her eyes sparkle and I can tell when she isn't eating enough fruits/veggies because she has lost her sparkle. She is more than happy to start devouring her greens to replenish the diamonds in her eyes. Works every time!!!
Jacquelyn Moses says
My picky eater is getting wayyyyy better but it has taken over a year of patiently encouraging him to try. Since he has 3 older siblings at the table he generally looks to them and their response dictates his willingness to try. Many times I've warned them ahead of time to use their best acting skills to demonstrate their pleasure in eating something like brussels sprouts or broccoli. Sometimes we use magic sprinkles (cinnamon, salt, pepper - depending on what the item is.) or tell him it is superhero food and he'll need the energy to rescue people.
Amy W says
like Copy-Kids
Kathleen says
I have the hardest time convincing my two boys (3&5) to take a first bite when trying something new
Elizabeth L. says
"liked" I ate a rainbow :)
Cheryl George says
liked - rainbow
Beth says
like Rainbow
Brandy says
liked copy kids
Sukyee says
I make my kids eat at least 3 bites and they must do it without any sour looking faces or attitude.
Beth says
like Copy-Kids
Juliana says
liked Today I ate a Rainbow
Cheryl George says
liked copy-kids
Brandy says
like rainbow
Amy W says
Offering healthier versions of things that he already loves...like making my own nuggets instead of the frozen kind.
Elizabeth L. says
My kids will typically eat anything that is put into a smoothie. One that that also works in our household is getting the kids to help pick out what produce we should buy. Getting them involved in picking out items to be packed in their lunches has helped to encourage them to try out new things. Especially if they picked it out themselves from the store :)
Britt Nowak says
Like today I Ate a rainbow
Sukyee says
Liked Today I ate a Rainbow on Facebook.
Cheryl George says
fickle likes...does that make sense? 1 day its ok, next day not, next day is...
Brandy says
I usually just keep offering the food in different forms if possible until I find a way they like it. Then we can work on getting them to enjoy it anyway its prepared. I find that sometimes its just a stage and eventually they'll come around. Plus, we parents need to be a good example and eat things even if we don't really like it, especially if its good for us.
Grace says
From the beginning of solids my daughter was a meal-time dream! She loved veggies, yogurt, fruit and practically everything else. The only thing we had difficulty with was meat. But she was perfectly happy with fish, spinach, beans, milk, etc. so I had no concerns about her protein intake. Since she's turned two, however, she's becoming significantly more picky. She's limiting her veggies to carrots, spinach and broccoli primarily. I can sometimes sneak in some other veggies or meat if they're hidden really well. I've even been known to turn to bribery to get her to eat. Something that is beginning to work well is if she helps me prepare dinner. If she works with me from start to finish it increases the chances of her eating it. She is very proud to tell daddy that she made dinner and repeatedly says "I made this!" while we're eating. I'm assuming this is something we'll overcome. Every day is an adventure!
Juliana says
liked Copy-Kids
Jennifer says
I bribed my 3 year old to try a piece of cooked spinach smaller than a dime size. He did and immediately gagged. He kept it in his mouth and tried to chew but ended up throwing up instead. Oh the frustrations of a weak stomach.
Sukyee says
Liked Copy Kids on Facebook.
Dawn says
like Rainbow