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/
Karianne says
like Copy Kids
Karianne says
I just want my almost 3 year old to eat a better variety of fruits and especially veggies!
Tracy says
I liked Rainbow on Facebook.
kirsten says
The toughest thing about my picky eater is her gag reflex! She will often cough, spit out, or even spit up new foods. We try tiny pieces but its her first reaction. I found that having her smell it a little sometimes helps. I'm lucky I only have one picky eater!
Tracy says
My picky eater eats raw spinach! We pretend she is a rabbit eating spinach and she gobbles it up.
Laura Spilotris says
I like today I ate a Rainbow!!
Kristi Spencer says
I give foods a fun name. Carrot soup is "Halloween Soup" and cauliflower soup is "caveman soup", it encourages the kids to give it a try since it sounds fun!
Laura Spilotris says
Copy Kids <3
Michelle Ludwig says
I liked I ate a rainbow on facebook
kirsten says
like rainbow
Michelle Ludwig says
I liked Copy-Kids on Facebook
Michelle Ludwig says
My 19 month old son has texture, sensory and low tone issues. Eating is beyond hard on my end. Just looking at a certain food can freak him out. Although, I am far from perfect at this it's just learning to take a deep breath and have patience.
Nicki says
Liked rainbow
kirsten mailhot says
Like copy kids
Nicki says
Liked copy kids
Katie says
My two year old boy twins call everything with color "yucky". Each morning I make my husband and I a green smoothie. The boys love kefir yogurt, so before I add berries to the green I distract the boys and pour .25 cup of my blended organic veggies into the kefir bottle. Never once have they said yucky and they are actually trying more new foods since I started doing this!!
Renee Boisvert says
Like Rainbow
Renee Boisvert says
Like Copy-Kids
Mary Adolfson says
Tip-told my daughters a trick, that if you try something you don't like 10 times, then you will start to like it. I did it with something and they had to see if the magic worked. It did :)
Laura Spilotris says
I wish I had a "tip" to share but I'm more in the "frustration" category right now as this is new for us. My daughter is 7 and the only fruit she will eat is a banana. We've tried smoothies, apples with peanut butter, plain fruit, and to no avail. However, I will keep trying "tiny" pieces and hope they eventually grow bigger!! Thanks for the encouragement.
Erica says
I have tried so many "picky eater" suggestions with my 3 year old and none of them have really worked. I'm hoping reading some of the comments will give me some fresh (pun intended) ideas! :). So far the only thing that has worked for us are smoothies. That is the only way she will eat a piece of fruit.
Manasa says
I try not to stress too much and encourage my daughter to eat with me. I see it is way easier when we eat steamed veggies and fresh juicy fruits TOGETHER for snack or breakfast - Works mostly!! :)
Rebecca Hall says
I sneak pureed kale, spinach and swiss chard into pizza and spaghetti sauce. Pureed pumpkin goes into oatmeal and smoothies!
Nicki says
I got my 10 year old to eat veggie stir fry by including her in the shopping and cooking of it. It was all veggies and she liked it!
Lisa Bayorek says
Liked today I ate a rainbow :)
Kathy Diomede says
Agree, never give up trying! My almost 4 year old resists everyday but never going to stop cookie cutting fruits & veggies....hopefully one day he will pick one up & eat it!
Manasa says
Liked TodayIAteARainbow
Renee Boisvert says
My daughter has sensory issues which get in the way of her range of food choices. The most creative and fun thing that we have done is to have a food tasting time. We called it a "smorgasbord" and kept the atmosphere positive and fun. I prepared lots of different items, but only a small portion of each. The whole family participated in trying a sample bite or two of each item. I prepared a "spread-sheet" with each person's name across the top, and the various food items going down the side. My daughter came up with a scale for us to track our preferences and she wrote them into the grid for us. We had some foods prepared in more than one way. For instance, we had raw zucchini, and we also had a lightly pan-fried zucchini. While writing this, I reminisced with my daughters about it... and they are both keen to do this again, soon!
Michelle Ludwig says
Renee,
This is a great idea. We deal with the same
Manasa says
Liked Copy-kids
Catherine says
Follow the no pressure one bite rule. We require that our kids take one bite of everything on their plate. If they like it great they can eat it all if not then no worries. This gets them to at least try things they don't think they like and the repetition usually pays off eventually.
kirsten says
This is the big rule in our house. Its always a struggle just for the one bite though!
Lisa Bayorek says
Liked copy kids!
Carrie says
Our 5 year old is a picker eater :( Our one year old eats like a champ. Trying to make changes to help dinner-time become a more pleasant experience for us all. It just ruins the night some times and makes me, as mommy, so sad. I work hard to get a yummy dinner on the table and involve the kids with the process -- all seems to be going well and then BAM!
Kandice says
I have my kids try one bite. If they don't like i don't push it, but I keep trying. Don't give up!
Sarah D says
Recently, I've been making Mexican black bean dip and using it as a spread in quesadillas to get my little ones to eat some protein from a source other than meat/dairy!
sara says
If I happily eat something and don't make a big deal out of it, and act as if I would be shocked if she didn't eat it, my toddler is better about trying new things. It doesn't always work, but it's the best I've got so far.
Erica says
"Like" Rainbow
sara says
Like Rainbow
Lisa Bayorek says
I use the blender to make green monsters in the morning to get my boys to eat fresh spinach :). Almond milk, PB, a banana and lots of fresh spinach :)
sara says
Like Copy Kids
Crystal says
My 3 year old from 6 months on, has been extremely difficult. She has no interest in eating. As my husband schedule has changed, we are all able to eat together at dinner. She now wants to eat whatever we are eating. I include her in food prep, and give her options so she feels its her decision. We still have good and bad days. Like rainbow and copy kids.