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/
Amy says
Liked Rainbow
Amy says
Liked Copy-Kids
Amy says
My picky eater frustration actually involves my husband! He hates the texture of vegetables and won't try new things. Meat and Potatoes only. I want to make recipes with veggies mixed in and I can't because I have to make veggies on the side for me and the kids. It makes eating veggies a lot less fun and limits my creativity in the kitchen.
Valerie says
I've found that including the kiddos in the meal preparation helps encourage them to try new things. They get excited when they help.
Britty says
Liked copy kids
Britty says
Liked Today I ate a Rainbow
Britty says
My fav. picky eater tip is to use the new USDA food plate. I printed it out real big (the color version) and stuck in on the fridge. Then, I went online and found lots of pictures of healthy foods we normally have, print them out, put them on colored backgrounds that match their food category, laminate with clear contact paper, and put a magnet on the back. Now, when they eat a healthy food, they can put the food magnet on the food plate. Make it a game to fill all the food groups :) My 3 year old loves it! Plus, when she wants a snack, she brings me a magnet, so I know she'll pick a healthy snack.
Jackie says
I purchase a variety of fruit, natural peanut butters, organic fruit snacks, cheese sticks, yogurts, and healthy nut & dried fruit bars. My boys 11 & 13, choose a morning snack and a lunch snack from what's in the house; not all the junk their friends have or wish they could have.
Lizze says
Like Today I Ate A Rainbow
Lizze says
Like Copy-Kids
Lizze says
Now that my daughter is six I try to involve her as much as possible. I point out a variety of fresh produce and other foods when we are shopping together and ask her to select one or two things that she really wants to eat. This helps after we're home because she will remember the things she's picked out and gets excited to eat those when she's hungry. When I've gone shopping without her I will talk to her about what we do have and invite her to help me pick what we're having and help me make lunch or dinner.
Angela Zumach says
like rainbow
Angela Zumach says
like copy-cat
Angela Zumach says
For my picky eater I just keep offering it and make him taste a little. Eventually the taste becomes more familiar and sometimes he begins to like new food.
Sarah B says
We do a "No Thank You" bite. Even if you don't like it, you try it once, then can say No Thank you!
Katie P says
Liked today I ate a rainbow. Thanks so much for the give-away!
Katie P says
Liked copy-kids! Thanks for introducing them to us!
Katie P says
My picky eater is my middle child, she's all about textures, so we've been more soups, since she likes that textures. Plus, with so many flavors blending, it's easier to add in more veggies.
Jennifer Edwards says
Liked Copy-kids and Today I Ate A Rainbow. I haven't heard of either of these groups so excited to learn more. Thanks!
Jennifer Edwards says
My kids love "taste tests". We will try 3-5 varieties of berries or carrots or potatoes or chocolate or seeds and then let them decide which they prefer. They also love any meal that involves toppings. For example, salad bar, baked potato bar, oatmeal, etc.
amy says
like Today I ate a Rainbow
Nika says
I got my son to eat broccoli by putting it on his homemade pizza.
amy says
Take your kids shopping with you! My kids and I made a New Year's Resolution where each week we would pick something new from the produce department, figure out how to prepare it, and then feast. Make it a game for them, give them the choice of what looks interesting and what they want to choose, and they will eat it because they had control over it. They might not end up liking it (kohlrabi didn't go over well with us) but it might become a new favorite (strangely, steamed bok choy is now a favorite at our house).
Sara says
Smoothies in my vita mix are the best. There is no other way I could get them to eat kale for breakfast!
Alyssa says
Like Today I ate a Rainbow
Alyssa says
Like Copy Kids
Alyssa says
I have older kids (10 - 13), and I just don't buy the junk food, so when I make a healthy version, they are REALLY happy to get something sweet (like homemade granola bars)!
Laura says
like copy kids
Laura says
Like today I ate a rainbow
Laura says
I struggle trying to get my 6 year old to eat "real" grown up food. She loves the 100-days chicken nuggets, but when it comes to more grown-up type food we struggle. I have started having her help cook in the kitchen in hopes of peaking her interests in trying new things. Texture is a big issue for her, for example - she prefers her veggies raw over cooked so we are trying to work more raw veggies into dinners.
Paula J. Kelly says
Like Rainbow!
This is a perfect companion to the family cooking class we are doing this month--love the idea of making it fun to eat a greater variety of fruits and vegetables
Amy says
We do the "one bite a day of a new food" in my house but my saving grace are smoothies! I hide everything from spinach to avocado in them and my kids all love to drink them. At least I know they are getting a good serving of vegetables every morning!
Becky says
I make soup and puree the vegetables, so my kids don't know what they're eating, but it's healthy for them. I am considering buying a juicer to help me add more greens to their diet, too. The juicer choices are overwhelming me right now.
Ranj says
like Rainbow
Ranj says
like Copy-Kids
Ranj says
I try mixing it up - for example an avocado smoothie or guacamole, and so on to get my son to eat different foods. He gets bored easily and I'm always looking for new ways and new foods to get him to eat more.
Danielle says
Liked Today I ate a rainbow...
Danielle says
Liked Copy Kids
Danielle says
As a preschool teacher, I found consistent success in seeing picky eaters change (both at school and at home!) by simply requiring my 4 year olds to try a bite of everything in their lunch every day - whether they thought they liked it or not. I also incorporated cooking and tasting a variety of foods in the classroom...
Csilla says
like Rainbow