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/
Tina says
I really liked the "Today I ate a rainbow" page.
Stephanie says
My picky eaters are my husband who refuses to eat fruits or veggies and my 9 year old daughter who has decided that she wants to be like daddy. It is difficult to get her to eat anything that isn't pasta or meat. I found the only way to get her to eat at least fruits without the fight, is let her pick them out at the grocery store. Still very frustrating because she will only choose three bananas, mango, and kiwi. I could really use help getting her to try different things.
"like Copy Kids and Today I Ate a Rainbow"
Anne Ingham says
I use a sticker chart on my cabinet at home. Everytime the kids try a new food or actually eat what I cooked for dinner they get a sticker on their chart. When the chart is full we do something fun like Putt-Putt. The hardest part is me being consistent with it!
Danyelle says
We do the one bite rule. We put one bite of unknown or new foods on the plate and they have to eat that bite before getting seconds of things they do like. We also tend to not buy snack type foods and use fruits and veggies instead, dips and cooking technique can go a long way. We eat a lot of veggies but we prepare them in lots of different ways or add to soups/stews etc.
Also keep in mind your child's age and the example you set. For young toddlers and preschoolers sometimes making a larger plate of food for a meal to share will get them gobble everything up because they see you eating it and it is showing them it is good and it safe to eat!
Lora says
liked rainbow
I just keep telling my daughter that her taste buds may have "changed" so she has to try the vegetable or whatever I am trying to get her to try. It seems to work.
Brook says
Liked Copy-Kids and Today I Ate A Rainbow
Shuffler says
I really enjoyed the "I Tasted a Rainbow" website and videos. It makes me want to get my girls more involved in meal planning and cooking. The colorful bowls and knives were cute. I think my girls would love having fun kitchen tools like that!
Shuffler says
Copy Kids is cute but a little too young for my child.
Shuffler says
I have stopped fixing special meals for my daughter and started serving her what everyone else is eating. Every now and then she will try something new. Yay! But it is rare. She will prefer to go without eating rather than eat something she thinks she doesn't like. That is frustrating! I am going to work on making sure she has no late afternoon snacks so she comes to the table hungry!
Brook says
My four year old daughter has over the course of the last year become picky (she used to eat anything I put in front of her). So now I am trying to re-introduce items and I am finding that the more I involve her in the shopping and food prep, the more likely she is to eat. We also have instituted a "no thank you bite" at meal time. She knows that if there is something on her plate that she doesn't like she has to have a bite (more like two) and then she can say no thank you.
Rachel says
I totally LIKED Rainbow!!
Rachel says
Like Copy Kids
Rachel says
I have 2 y/o twins. My daughter is a super eater and my son, well...lets just say he eats to live. A long while ago I invented the "Henry Muffin" really its just a muddling of everything I wanted him to eat under the guise of it being a sweet treat. And, to be fair, I do mean everything...eggplant, zucch, squash, carrot and on and on. He gobbles them up like they were cookies. Now, I realize I have set myself up for future failure since this is the majority of what he eats (with the exception of black beans and avocado; which he could live on), however he's still growing and gaining wait so I won't complain. At some point there will be better open communication and he will understand he doesn't get to be so picky any longer :)
Ronell says
I have recently just switched to the real food life style and LOVE it. Everything is made from scratch now and I realize I am able to sneak more veggies into things (like homemade sauce). That being said my littles are still SUPER picky eaters. Dinners are the most difficult for us, as they most time refuse all their veggies so this giveaway would be great!!
Andrea says
my little munchkins are adverse to trying new fruits and vegetables right now they only eat cucumbers and apples. I would love ideas to get them to try different fruits and veggies and healthy snacks
April says
After your kids have been playing hard running around outside - When you come in have vegetables and hummus ready to give them (and other new foods). When My kiddos are hungry, But not yet too hungry, they are more likely to try new things.
Rachel says
I liked Today I Ate A Rainbow
Rachel says
Sometimes they just think they don't like something, calling it by another name can help them with at least trying the food before they decide whether they like it or not
meredith says
liked rainbow
meredith says
I like Copy-Kids on Facebook
meredith says
I try to hide some healthy food in my families favorites!
Cathy says
liked rainbow
Cathy says
liked Copy-Kids
Cathy says
Have your child help you arrange the snack tray with a variety of veggies that can be dipped.
Cyndi says
Liked Today I Ate a Rainbow
Cyndi says
Liked copy-kids
Cyndi says
I try to blend healthier options with traditional foods. For example, I make taco meat and add rice, beans and corn to add nutrition and lighten the dish at the same time. My family complained initially but now they look forward to taco night.
Kate says
Like Rainbow
Dusti says
My oldest is 3, and will not touch vegetables. It can be frustrating at times.
Bethany Peterson says
I have no tips, I just keep trying and trying and trying...while also trying to do better myself. Monkey see monkey do! thanks for your awesome website.
Kelly says
Rainbow
Kelly says
My tip is to just keep trying. My 5 year old used to refuse guacamole I made for her but now she will willingly eat it. I had to introduce it to her over and over but it worked!
Naya says
I think one way to help is with the presentation of the meal. Sometimes if I jazz it up then my picky eaters are more eager to try it.
joy thomas says
My picky eater is my teenager. He will eat what I serve at dinner. But, he never chooses any fruits or veggies outside of dinner or my requests.
Elizabeth Bishop says
Well, for me, the picky eater is my husband. I always here "I don't this...I'm not picky, I just don't like it!" Which would be fine but he really doesn't like too much. It's hard, but at least my kids are fine. LOL
Cynthia Sani says
like Copy-Kids
Cynthia Sani says
Like Rainbow
Cynthia says
My dad only likes white rice, not brown, because he's eaten white rice for all of his life. That said, I've been trying to mix the two rices! Wish me luck :)
Jennifer says
I've had luck with just trying things over and over until my kids realize that whatever it is actually does taste good.
Charlee Meche says
Today for lunch, my four year old daughter was reluctant to eat. What I made was similar to gumbo, but much healthier. She LOVES gumbo, so I kept telling her that it was just that. She still wasn't convinced. As my husband and I were discussing what to name my recipe, throwing out names, my 2 year old son giggled and shouted "gumbozilla" as an option. Of course we agreed that that was the best name. My four year old then immediately accepted it as a legitimate food source and ate the whole bowl, asked for seconds, and asked for gumbozilla for supper! The life of small children is never boring...