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/
Erin says
My best picky eater tip is keep trying! Don't let the healthy items disappear off their plates, keep putting them out there... also in our house we like to say a phrase from "French kids eat everything", we eat a little bit of everything.
Daisy says
Like copy-kids :)
Risa D says
My son loves to 'compete'. If I say kale chips(or roasted broccoli, peppers, etc)are my favorite and I will eat them all, the only thing he wants to do is eat kale chips!
Anita E says
My 3 yr old will not eat meat, sandwiches, or try anything new :(
Michelle Smolowitz says
I've found with young kid especially it's better to serve them a plate with just veggies first, let them eat, and then after that give the other elements of the meal. If I put both Mac n cheese and green beans on the plate the green beans are less appealing.
Melissa W says
Like Rainbow
Kelly says
Like Copy-Kids on Facebook
Emily Porteous says
Like "copy kids"
Susan says
I have found that it is about adding the right flavors to the food. My husband would not eat salad until I found the right dressing that he liked, now I can't get him to stop!
Daisy says
I tell my picky eaters about taste buds and how we are always getting new ones. I encourage them to take a bite even if they have already tried it "because you never know - your taste buds might really like it this time!" I have had lots of kids tell me that their new taste buds now love a food that they once didn't :)
Kelly says
I like the food chaining techniques for expanding what a child will eat!
Deanna Thomae says
We pretend that the tiny people who live in the earth use the vegetables. So, when we are eating green beans and corn, we are eating the little people's bats and balls, broccoli are trees, purple cabbage are purple roads, etc. The kids have fun thinking of things that each fruit or vegetable is used for. Yes, it's silly, but it encourages conversation, imagination and healthy eating! :)
Sandra Downing says
Like Copy-kids
Melissa W says
like copy-kids
Melanie Fore says
My son loves cheez-its but once we decided to cut out processed food he was not happy. I started making my own and now he doesn't know the difference. It was hard at first but I stuck in and refused to give up.
Jocelyn Hubbach says
like rainbow
Anita E says
Copy kids on FB
Sandra Downing says
Like Rainbow
stefanie says
Studies have shown that the more foods a fetus is exposed to, the more likely they will try and enjoy different foods as a baby! Plus, I don't introduce sweet fruits until 9 or 10 months, just sticking to veggies at first.
Jamie says
like rainbow on FB
Sarah says
My 3 1/2 year old has always been a great eater until recently. We always made his baby food and even made yogurt. Now that he is in preschool he loves those portable yogurts, which are full of sugar. If I keep presenting healthy whole food selections at home, will he come around?
Jocelyn Hubbach says
Have you tried letting him choose his "added ingredients" to his yogurt himself? Involve him in the process? My kiddo will eat more if she "helps" make her food, design the picture, etc.
Martha says
I like Rainbow!
Sandra Downing says
I worry that at age 9 it's going to be almost impossible to change my son's eating habits! I bought a very expensive blender to make smoothies and hide good stuff in them but he won't drink them. On the other hand my daughter who is a much better eater loves them!
Emily Porteous says
I have 3 boys and a husband who refuse to eat almost anything I would rather eat. I'm having the hardest time switching our family to healthy foods. Trying to get my husband to spend extra money on things he dislikes is even harder. Why does healthy food have to cost more!
Jocelyn Hubbach says
Today I Ate a Rainbow!
Lindsey Harris says
Like Rainbow
Sharon McFarland says
I "like" Copy-Kids
Erin says
My 2.5 year old will not eat one bite of dinner. Every single night he refuses my meals!
Jamie says
Like copy kids on FB
Tiffany says
Who knew that a kid can live on peanut butter and jelly alone? I didn't until my extemely picky son set out to prove it :) He is three and half and I still depend on the baby food squeeze purees to get veggies into him.
Lindsey Harris says
Like Copy-kids
Joni says
My middle child was a very picky eater when it came to meals...grilled cheese and pasta, but he always loved fruits and veggies, so I was ok with that. After lots of putting new stuff on his plate he is now a wonderful eater.
Melissa wilson says
I usually just offer it to them but I have snuck the veggies in their food before using tips from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfield!
michelle says
Try, try, try again!!!
kristen b says
like rainbow
Amanda says
We've had some luck getting our picky kids to eat veggies by providing hummus or a healthy ranch dressing for dipping
Jamie says
My oldest child's refusal to eat veggies is now rubbing off on my youngest who used to eat everything placed in front of her. I would like to get copy kids!!
Stacie says
My 3 year old has always been a great eater... Until recently. Nowadays even items he has had before and liked he will say "this is disgusting!"
It's been frustrating to say the least. I just try to ignore him and just see if he will eat it if a big deal isn't made. But my husband always likes to open his mouth which I think just makes it worse!
Denise says
One of our three kiddos is not only "the picky one," she's also the most stubborn! It seems like humor works the best with her. I like the suggestions above for humor, but prior to this post we often sing instead of talk to each other at the table and it significantly lightens the mood and her tendency towards defiance. I may not hear it at every meal, but I love hearing her say, "This is actually good, Mommy!" Lol
Vinny Grette says
To encourage my picky eater, I use stories that feature the food in question. Then we can cook up the food using an easy recipe. I call that cooking up a story. I like to give a few tips explaining why the food is good to eat. And if I can find a song about the food, all the better. We often do food experiments with the food, to see how it tastes done up different ways. I even produced my own book, which seems to help. If you can find a good use for the book or the posts on my website, please do publicize :)