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/
Megan says
Like today I ate a rainbow
Christina says
Like rainbiw
Alexis says
Like copy kids on FB
Amy says
Like Copy-Kids
Kathleen says
Liked Rainbow
Maggi Loftus says
My biggest frustration with my picky eater (5 years old) is that she helps me in the kitchen to prepare good food and then claims to not like it before actually trying it and then it turns into either a battle to get her to try just try it (and finish it) or I listen to her whine about being hungry for the rest of the night.
Joanna says
love your blog!
Brooke Lewis-Slamkova says
Like Rainbow
Emily says
I need help in this department! My older one loves veggies, but won't eat anything with "sauce" and my younger one tries lots of foods (off my plate) but won't go near a veggie. If I could combine them in to one kid, then we'd be on to something....
Megan says
Like copy-kids
Amy says
Like rainbow
Shay says
Like today I ate a rainbow
Cheryl Terry says
LIke Rainbow
Marisa says
Like rainbow
Kate @GlutenFreeGobsmacked.com says
I <3 Rainbow on FB. :D
Rose says
My kids like to eat boxed crackers and such. I'm still working on them though:)
Angela says
My rule is you only have to take one bite. If they say they don't like it before trying it, they have to take 2 bites. Usually once they try it, they like it. If not, that's ok and we try again next time. My 4 year old eats everything or at least she is adventurous to try iteration are working on my 2 year old. He's getting there...
Amanda Bickham says
Liked Today I ate a Rainbow
Anne L. says
Like copy kids!
natalia K says
My 4 year old ....loves carrots , corn , beans . He would not try anything else .....but i am not giving up ....i keep putting thing on his plate .....and last night actually tried and liked red cabbage ....wohoo.
Sunni Wallace says
Liked Rainbow
Kathleen says
Like Copy Kids
Courtney says
Like Copy-Kids
Brooke Lewis-Slamkova says
Like copycat kids
Ilene Sheppard says
I have found that the best time to introduce new foods to my picky kids is when they are really hungry! They tend try just about anything and find out there are other foods that they like.
Chantel Polarolo says
like Copy-Kids
Tiffany R says
Like rainbow
Beverly says
Liked today I ate a rainbow
Kristen says
liked copy kids - hoping these tips will help us raise our daughter (3) to be less picky than her brothers (10 and 13).
Cynthia says
Like Rainbow
Tina says
My son has food allergies and has a big fear of trying new things!
Laura says
I liked today I ate a rainbow on FB. Thanks for the chance to win this!
Kate @GlutenFreeGobsmacked.com says
I like Copy-Kids on FB
Helena says
With my oldest (now 6) what worked was to keep offering and making new things. He eventually "got it" and is now willing to try anything. If he comes home hungry from school, I always have veggies and hummus (or ranch) prepped in the fridge for him to snack on. My youngest (4) is a different story and is truly picky. I make sure there is at least ONE thing on her plate that I know she'll eat (usually steamed brocolli) and then introduce new things all the time. I don't make a big deal out of it. If she doesn't eat the other stuff, I know she'll eat the brocolli and that's enough! (until the next day!)
Courtney says
Probably not the best way to have gone about things, but when my oldest was younger, he refused to eat greens, but he loved pasta sauce. I used to blend it up into the sauce. Each time thereafter, I would do so, but leave the pieces chunkier and chunkier, until the point where the vegetables were left whole in the sauce. He had gotten used to the taste before actually seeing the vegetables. By the time he was 3 I could hand him any vegetable (with the exception of tomatoes) and he'd would eat sight on scene. Now, at 5 years old, he would rather eat fruit and vegetables than anything else.
Monika Russo says
Struggling with my 3 year old, but my 5 yr old has gotten much better since I've started doing "you don't have to like it, but you do have to taste it". Then we talk about it...color, smell, texture, etc.
Amanda Bickham says
Liked Copy Kids
Katey says
like Copy-Kids
Kathleen says
My four year old is a super picky eater-- everything is a battle,even foods I know he likes.
Amanda says
Like CopyKids