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/
Chrissy says
Try it again tomorrow! Some times my lo won't eat something one day, but the next day she'll love it!
Nan Curnutte says
Liked copy kids and like rainbow
Jennifer says
I let my oldest set up silly rules for when we would have certain veggies, like we only have broccoli on preschool days. My youngest would eat anything that she grew and picked from the garden. Now that they are a bit older I try to have a plate of mixed veggies and fruit ready to go when they get home from school. If they don't have to ask or fix it themselves they are much more adventurous.
Nan Curnutte says
My son only wants chicken!!!
Mary says
My kids do a better job eatting if they help make dinner. They are proud of their hard work.
Angela says
My picky eater tip is to tell them .. in a very dramatic, excited way ...how the food will make them or their bodies stronger ... Such as " did you know those carrots help your eyes get stronger!! " then we zoom around with our big eyes looking for things. They love the fantastical story telling and my older child asks more detailed vitamin questions, which is always great learning for all!!
Heidi Hollenbach says
like rainbow
Heidi Hollenbach says
I liked Copy-Kids on Facebook.
Zarah H says
I like rainbow :)
Teresa says
like rainbow
Paula says
Like Today I Ate A Rainbow
Danielle Zink says
Offer lots of new things and lots of encouragement, but also let the kids say no thank you. I use desert as a "carrot" for eating healthy and being willing to take one bite of something new.
Anna says
I was able to get my kids to try and like oatmeal by making baked oatmeal in muffin tins.
Zarah H says
I liked copy kids
Amanda Voorhees says
I love all the great ideas you give on this blog. I have been slowly getting away from processed food and its been a very hard transistion in my family. Thanks for your advice!
Jana Wilcox says
This is great. I have 2 boys that eat everything I cook. ( some they like better than others) One part of that success is letting them help me cook. We have a book called Health Bliss and its a dictionary literally for all the healthy foods. We will pick a food that is in the recipe and learn all about it. They love it.
Amber says
Like "Copy-Kids"
Susan Artz says
They only get dessert if they eat 3 bites of everything.
Christi says
Like Copy-kids
Sharon McFarland says
My 3 year old will not touch spinach, until I used a recipe, that had spinach in the meatballs. She loved them!
Paula says
Like Copy-kids on Facebook
Priscilla says
My kids love to dip. I serve raw veggies with veggie dip or ranch and they are good to go!
Teresa Newman says
Hoping I'm not too late with my picky eaters. They're already teenagers! It helps that they are active
Amber says
Like "Rainbow"
Linda T says
Just by luck, my daughter's favorite food is broccoli! We have it several times a week while introducing new veggies. I love the Rainbow idea
Sheri says
Like Rainbow
Christi says
Like Rainbow
Zarah H says
We mix it up a lot. Just like adults I believe that kids go through phases of liking certain foods.Some days my some lover blueberries other days he's doesn't touch them but will eat blackberries. And always keep trying new foods.
Christi says
When I eat the same food as my daughter, she loves to ' clink' our foods together and say "cheers!" She thinks it is really fun :)
Heidi Hollenbach says
I make my salad each day on the same counter where my four little ones are eating their lunch. They always ask for a taste of what I am making and end up eating their veggies, plus several more servings of mine!
Sheri says
Like Copy Kids
Amy says
Texture is the biggest frusteration with my kids. Sometimes they can't get past how it feels to even experience the taste!
like copy kids, like rainbow on fb
Julia S says
My son would eat nothing. Once I cut down on the sugar and processed foods, I made him a chart saying "Try a New food a DAy" We write the name of the food he tried and a smiley face if he likes it or a frown if he doesnt. If he adds a frown, a few weeeks later we try the food again either made a different way or with a different meal and in 2 months his list of wont eat foods has dwindled to almost non existant
Andrea says
I'm pretty sure my son is a fruititarian. So I try to disguise green veggies in smoothies that have plenty of frozen berries and bananas:)
Sheri says
My grandson is very very frustrating. He will look at something and as soon as he sees it is something he has not tried, he won't even look at it!!
Denice says
I think this is an easy concept for kids to understand and implement.
Amy Ellebrecht says
Like Rainbow
Cass Beck says
I have my picky eater help me grocery shop. She gets to pick a new fruit or veggie to try. Sometimes she will try it and sometimes not but it's something!
Rachel says
My tip is to let your kids see you eating and enjoying healthy food. Then they will be more likely to do so.
Jessica Zehel says
like Rainbow