picky eaters

lisamoe · May 2013

If your kid doesn't eat what you serve for dinner, what do you do?

Offer something else? Like what? Don't offer anything else, with the feeling of "if he's hungry enough, he'll eat"?

Andrew has been super picky when it comes to dinner. We are much better at breakfast and lunch, but that's generally because those consist of foods he likes. He is a bear at dinner. Hes in the 50% for weight, so I know hes getting what he needs ( I think at least!)

kcisthebombdotcom · May 2013

It really depends. If I'm making something spicy they couldn't eat, I'll make something else. I usually have meatloaf frozen which is their fav food and then offer whatever starch/veggie we served with our meal. I won't make a second dinner if its something they just don't eat.

Dochas · May 2013

My son eats very few things and no meat at all. Usually I make something for him. I know many people say eat what's there and I'm sure that works for some kids, so it could be worth a try. Is it a new thing for him? Are you bothered by giving him something else? I don't expect other people to accommodate him and I don't do backflips if we're eating out, but it doesn't bother me at home to have something separate for him. None of the methods we tried (eat nothing, you must try one bite, etc) felt right to us. But I think he has a texture thing going on. He gets better by degrees.

Just to add - he will eat any kind of fresh fruit so I know he isn't holding out for potato chips. lol

Mom2Mack1 · May 2013

I make sure there is one thing at dinner DD will eat, even if it's just the vegetable. She is very picky, but I do make her try what we are having if I think she'll like it.

jensriot · May 2013

LalaMama81:
I don't do anything usually. I might offer a bit of fruit, but that's it.
It's normal for dinner to be the meal they don't eat much of. If they are hungry they'd eat.
If I know it's something they truly don't like, I don't give it to them (mushrooms for DD1 are the only thing so far). I guess if I knew they truly didn't like a main dish, I might have to reconsider, but likely, I just wouldn't make the dish.
I don't make DD2 try anything, but we have made DD1 try things since she was 2.5 or so.
If there is a treat or sweet we were going to have, they can't have it unless they've eaten an acceptable amount of food.

I could have written this myself. I'll add that if I'm making something they've never had before and they don't care for it, I'll make a little sandwich after they've tried it.

catycate · May 2013

My ped told me that dinners were usually rough for toddlers, and that they start off the day strong with breakfast and generally just decrease as the day goes on. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. That being said, DS eats what I'm serving or doesn't eat. I'm pretty lucky that he doesn't have any other health issues, so I'm comfortable doing that. He also still gets a sippy of milk at bedtime, so that helps.

nosoup4u · May 2013

I think it's ok to have something on the table you known your kid will eat. That way you can not make it a battle or confrontation about what they won't eat.

DS1 can be picky, but we also try to make versions of food he will eat. As in, keeping some things separate for him, or putting sauce on the side, etc. It doesn't add extra work for us, and then we avoid battles over eating, too.

Ellyn Satter has great advice about feeding kids. She has a few books about it.

joyfullyfound · May 2013

DD gets nothing else, except a sippy of milk before bed.

nekorayne · May 2013

If its something spicey or that he has a lagitimate reason for not liking I'll put something on hi plate he can eat of course.

But just pickness I just approach it like hell eat if hes hungry, no biggie. If he won't even try it then he must not be hungry.

If he tried it and seemed to not like it and its a dish with no other things to eat (like a casserole with no sides) I may give him a snack later since he just dd not like it. But usallyif he tries it and gives it a fair chance he likes it.

MesmrEwe · May 2013

Unless it's something spicy or no way no how is that going in type food, I just leave it at what we're having, take it or leave it! I'm not a short order cook. Which can be a challenge when you've got two kids with different tastes and pickiness..

That said, it's a royal PITA to have a picky eater! At some point there's the realization that constantly adjusting to their needs takes away the life lesson of adapting to the situation and learning to cope since food is one of the first ways kids learn to control their environment..

mrswright2006 · May 2013

Both of my kids ate almost anything when they were that age - DS is know to eat spicy salsa with gusto which was a shock, considering DD still won't touch foods that are remotely spicy or have pepper in them. I usually make each kid try a bite of everything on their plate. If I knew the main dish wasn't going to be a hit, I would pad the meal with a few crackers and a cheese stick. I would often alter recipes for the kids, too, like take out most of the spice, or just serve noodles when DD was in her "I hate tomatoes phase." Usually I keep it to only one new or unliked dish per meal. If they are hungry but won't eat the main dish, they will eat all their sides, and it is the end of the meal. Starting about age 3 ... maybe 3.5, if DD decided she didn't like a meal, she was on her own. She can make PBJ sandwiches, cheesy rollups, frozen pancakes or waffles (I always make extra large batches, and freeze some for the kids).

sbevmc09 · May 2013

nosoup4u:
I think it's ok to have something on the table you known your kid will eat. That way you can not make it a battle or confrontation about what they won't eat. DS1 can be picky, but we also try to make versions of food he will eat. As in, keeping some things separate for him, or putting sauce on the side, etc. It doesn't add extra work for us, and then we avoid battles over eating, too. Ellyn Satter has great advice about feeding kids. She has a few books about it.

This.

I give him some of everything (sometimes slightly modified) even if I know he won't eat it and I always make sure his plate contains at least one thing (usually more) that's a sure thing.

notkateanymore · May 2013

I make one meal, she eats the parts she likes and tries everything she doesn't. There are no other meals or snacks.

sometimesalwayschaotic · May 2013

We don't make alternative meals for our kids. I try to have something they will like such as the veggie or the fruit. If nothing else, they can fill up on milk. I try to encourage my toddler to try the main dish by not allowing her more of what she wants until she has eaten one bite of whatever she is avoiding. This will usually get her to try the main dish and usually she likes it. Sometimes it takes most of the meal before she will try the main dish but we don't make it a battle. We simply say that to get more strawberries you have to try one bite of the enchilada and if she says no. I say ok then no more strawberries. It seems to work most days.

chardonnay24 · May 2013

Generally, if he doesn't it what I serve, he doesn't eat. Then I'll offer a hearty snack before bed.

However, if it's something we've never had before and he gives it a try first or if he's not feeling well, I'll cut him a little slack and give him yogurt or PB toast.

ETA: He gets an after dinner snack whether or not he eats dinner.

Andrewsgal · May 2013

KateMW:
I make one meal, she eats the parts she likes and tries everything she doesn't. There are no other meals or snacks.

Yep and sometimes that means my kids go to bed hungry. They haven't starved to death yet so I guess they will live.

notkateanymore · May 2013

amy052006:
I really don't care to be a hard azz just to make a point with a two year old. Sometimes he just does not want we are having. Ok maybe it's new, maybe he doesn't feel like it, maybe he just legit doesn't like it. If he is ok filling up on veggies, that's fine. Sometimes he asks for some cheese ok. He'll always take fruit. He's a great eater if once in a while he shuns our dinner for a banana and a cheese stick, that's fine by me.

Now when DD was that age, a cheese stick or some crackers in place of something was probably not a huge deal. But I don't get making a whole separate meal of "kid food" to combat the problem. But, I can admit that I've always been lucky because DD will eat all proteins.

Andrewsgal · May 2013

amy052006:
I really don't care to be a hard azz just to make a point with a two year old. Sometimes he just does not want we are having. Ok maybe it's new, maybe he doesn't feel like it, maybe he just legit doesn't like it. If he is ok filling up on veggies, that's fine. Sometimes he asks for some cheese ok. He'll always take fruit. He's a great eater if once in a while he shuns our dinner for a banana and a cheese stick, that's fine by me.

I think there is a huge difference between a two year old and my four and six year old.

Andrewsgal · May 2013

amy052006:
This board freakishly attracts the parents of the best behaved kids ever. Because everyone I know in real life has had some sort of weird food phase with a toddler. It passes of course. But it still happens. Without a doubt, DS1 asks for a cheese stick when we have pork. We KNOW he won't eat it. It's entirely possible he does not like it lots of adults don't! I don't know they are human beings. They get to have preferences once in a while. Especially since while I always run dinner by DH, I certainly don't consult DS.

I hope I a, not coming across that my toddlers both did not go through phases. They both did big time. My kids are not toddlers anymore so they eat what we eat. My kids are so far from freakishly well behaved:)

ta78 · May 2013

DS is really picky.. If it were up to him he'd have a pb&j sandwich for every meal.

He picks at his meals and goes to bed hungry plenty. Sometimes I will present his food differently than ours. He won't eat a salad, but if I seperate the beans, certain veggies and a hard boiled egg he will eat them individually. Or whatever it may be. The only time he gets something else is if I make something too spicy, although we've been getting better at taming it down and adding to our own plates.

I figure eventually, he will start to eat more. Maybe.

picky eaters

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