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/
Monika Russo says
Like Today I Ate a Rainbow on Facebook.
Erinn says
I find if I don't make a big deal about the foods they don't notice. If I add some veggies to pasta sauce and say nothing, it all gets eaten. If I say, Hope you like dinner, I tried something new....they may not even try it!
Allie M says
the more times they are presented with a new food, the more likely the are to eat it!
Amy says
Make a game out of the veggies they have to try. Eventually they acquire a taste for them, and don't argue (as much) when they are served it.
Tammy says
Like Today I Ate a Rainbow
Maggi Loftus says
Like today I ate a rainbow
Cristin says
I liked Copy-kids
Brandi R says
Like rainbow
Jenn says
My 3 year old likes to cook so he will taste new things while I cut them up.
Lindsay says
My 4 year old will not eat anything green. I keep putting it on her plate hoping one day she will eat it.
natalia K says
liked today i ate the rainbow
Jennifer says
Hardest for me is having 4 kids that are picky about different things, can't seem to please everyone!
Shannon B. says
smoothies. Can't go wrong with those!
Emily Cook (@Weakandloved) says
like rainbow
like copy kids
(via Weak and Loved on facebook)
Monika Russo says
Like Copy Kids on Facebook
Helena says
Like Rainbow
Angela says
Liked today I are a rainbow!!
Heather M says
My favorite tip is to just keep serving the food over and over. My oldest son refused to eat potatoes until about the 6th or 7th time I served them to him.
I'm working on berries with my youngest -- can you believe he refuses strawberries!?
Eileen says
I am not a mom, BUT, I volunteer with an organization that teaches kids about food and nutrition and gives them tours of a community garden through their schools. We have found that often time kids who are usually picky eaters will try some of the fresh foods in the garden and will find that they like it! I would suggest maybe planting a garden or some garden plants in pots and teach your children about where food comes from, not just from the grocery store. I think kids find it fun to pick their own food and maybe prepare it in someway. They take pride in it and then end up tasting and even liking some foods they previously did not enjoy!
Sarah Kronland says
I've found that if I don't watch my childrens' faces when they try a new food I get less of a reaction from them. As soon as I ask them to try something and it goes in their mouth, I quickly start talking to someone else at the table about a totally different topic. I've found that they not only like "acting," but they also like an audience! The less I react...the less they do!
Tina says
Like Rainbow!
Jennifer says
Like copy-kids
Helena says
Like copy kids
Sarah says
We've been able to avoid most of the picky eating habits by establishing good, healthy eating habits from very early on. But I have a 3 and 4 year old who at times shy away from trying new things. We've implemented two things; 1) they have to take a polite bite of everything on their plate and 2) they get to make a wish whenever thy try something new. For some reason both work very well!
Joanna says
liked today I ate a rainbow
Christina says
Like copy-kids.
Maggi Loftus says
Like copy kids
Emily Cook (@Weakandloved) says
One of my favorite strategies is NOT offering the new food. I eat it myself, in front of the children, and almost always, someone will beg for a bite.
If that someone (usually the smallest kid) likes it, the others will probably give it a try. If he doesn't though, it's all over. Good thing my baby is NOT so picky! :)
Cristin says
I find letting my kids eat off of "big plates and forks" will help with them being picky.
Susan says
I would love some ideas to get my son to try new foods! He's very picky, but is wanting to broaden his meal choices.
Amilee says
It's so tempting to keep sticking to the same foods you know your children will eat, but I've learned that if you do that, it's even harder to get them to try new foods. I think it's important to keep introducing new foods, even if they turn them down. My once picky four year old now eats foods I never thought he would try!
natalia K says
liked Copy kids on facebook
Tina says
Liked Copy Kids!
Sunni Wallace says
My frustration lies in my picky eater won't try anything green and then sometimes after I get a new food introduced and he likes it...the next time I serve it we go through the whole fight again.
Nicole says
We just got a juicer so I've been sneaking veg into the juice. Going slow but building up to more veg.
Kim says
Encouraging my 4 year old to help me prepare our food gets her excited to try the meal that she helped prepare.
Kristen says
liked today I ate a rainbow - another great idea for our toddler.
Julie says
I need help with my picky eater. We have them try, at least, a little amount. Sometimes they just "think" they don't like it before they even try.
Joanna says
like copy kids
Kim W. says
I have 9 yr. old triplets and they are all 3 picky about different things so making a casserole can be challenging b/c one doesn't like mushrooms, onions, or peppers. One doesn't like tomatoes or "red" sauce and the other doesn't like "spicy". To make a casserole, I add the basics and pour that little bit into one side of the dish, add whatever else the next child/children will eat and pour it into the middle of the dish and add the rest for hubby and I and pour it into the other side. Complicated...I know...but it works for us!