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/
Linnea Hart says
Hi,
My daughter is now 12 years old and I worry that I have started too late with trying the healthy foods. I truly appreciate 100 Days of Real food and all of these great references and helpful tips! I will not give up!
Jessica D says
Sometimes we play the quiet game... who can take a bite and not make a crunch. It had my 3 and 4 year old challenged enough to eat homemade kale chips. (and some salt didn't hurt either!)
Paula says
I will have to try the each day is a colour, my 3 year old used to eat everything, now she doesn't want to eat veggies, thanks for giving me more ideas on how to get her to at least try them again.
Adrienne Pugmire says
My kids won't eat green veggies.
stephanie says
like today I ate a rainbow
Brooke C. says
Liked "Copy Kids"
Ruthie Hayes says
I like "today I ate a rainbow!"
Michele Villano says
My 10 year old daughter has declared that she is not a vegetarian, therefore she will not eat vegetables... sigh...
dawna says
like Rainbow
Callie says
We once told my toddler that "Gramama likes sweet potatoes" and she tried them immediately (after refusing)! Though Gramama is hundreds of miles away, she has great influence on my daughter. If Gramama bought it, wears it, eats it, etc., it must be worthy of consideration!
Meghan says
My picky eater tip: try new things when Dad isn't around! Leave it to a grown man to be the picky eater in our house.... Girls night dinners are top notch around here!
stephanie says
my son doesn't like healthy fats. so I make him chia seed pudding or put flax in his smoothies and freeze them into ice pops.
Jeanette says
I Liked Today I Ate a Rainbow
Diane C. says
My frustration is that my picky eater will only eat food that he has eaten before. If he doesn't recognize it, he won't try it no matter what.
dawna says
Frustrating is knowing that you allowed your kids to be picky eaters and now you have a 10 & 14 who are balking in a major way. In some ways it's a lot harder to persuade an older kid -- they aren't sucked in by rainbows & dinosaur trees. Hindsight is 20:20. :(
Maegan says
My biggest frustration is always trying to make sure they get plenty of veggies every day. It is easy to get all of the other food groups in. So my daily focus is getting enough veg in.
Ruthie Hayes says
I like copy kids!!!
Jennifer says
I have found if I change the vessel from a traditional plate or bowl to a cup, cup cake wrapper, reusable sandwich bag, etc. She will be more open to trying it.
Beth says
Like Copy Kids
Jeanette says
I get creative with fruit and veggie presentation/naming. For example, I cut apples in thin strips and call them "Apple Fries". Or I cut the core of an apple and slice them. I call those "Apple Donuts". Takes a little more time to prepare foods, but my girls actually EAT them without complaining.
Ruthie Hayes says
My 11 year old son is WAY picky with veggies. I just keep offering it to him in different forms or different seasonings. A little ranch dressing or cheese on top is a small price to pay for getting him to eat it. Now he will eat carrot stix without the dressing. That's HUGE.
Helen says
Like Today I Ate a Rainbow
Maegan says
Like copy-kids
Lauren Franklin says
I liked rainbow
Maegan says
Like rainbow
Leslee Graves says
Like copy kids in FB.
Anna says
I find that having kids help with meal preparation helps a lot. When I give my three kids (2,4,5) stools and they each make their own salad, they do lots of taste testing along the way. This is how my two year old first started being willing to try lettuce.
Lauren Franklin says
I liked copy kids
Jennifer says
Liked Today I Ate a Rainbow on FB
Jamie says
i liked Today I Ate a Rainbow on FB.
Leslee Graves says
Liked I Ate a Rainbow
Helen says
like copy kids
Jamie says
I liked Copy-Kids on FB.
EB says
love divided plates so those don't touch
Jennifer says
Liked rainbow on fb
Jennifer says
I'm a mostly reformed picky eater - my biggest issue is texture. I don't like mushy veggies so I don't cook them very long or eat them raw.
Leslee Graves says
My frustration is that I'm not familiar with done the veggies and how to prepare then in a tasty way. ;) I would share more if a variety if I felt more confident.
Jamie says
I just continue to serve fruits and veggies with every meal as I would normally. My kids have to eat at least half of what I put on their plate (which is usually very small). Over time they usually end up liking it. My 2 yr old's food usually ends up on the floor. As frustrating as that is, it doesn't stop me from serving it. My 7 yr old wouldn't touch and would even throw up when I made him eat his veggies. He now eats all of them and tells me how good they are!
Jennifer says
Like copy-kids on fb
Heather says
like "Today I ate a Rainbow"