Nothing changes your views on parenthood quite like being a parent!
I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be the mother of a picky eater…SERIOUSLY!
I had this archaic view instilled by my grandmother that children don’t have a say and that they should eat what is offered.
This view was then paired with my new age belief that if you make anything pretty enough it will be eaten-I even passed this advice on to my cousin who battles with her own strong willed picky eater…
My mom found my views funny but in true “Angie” style she let me do my own thing and bump my head if need be. So when I came back to her with tears in my eyes saying that I don’t know what to do with Mr “3 grapes and a provita”, she just smiled and said she understood as I only started eating around the age of 15 WHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT!!!!
See I have vague memories of everyone making a fuss every time I finished a plate of food. Seriously I could bring back an A on a test and it would be less of an achievement. It also explains why at every family function my portions are still pretty “kid sized” it’s a well known thing in my family that “Eleanor doesn’t eat” (WHY OH WHY hasn’t that message got to my fat bum!)
Anyway’s so you would think that I would be like “okay he will eat eventually” but I’m not, because along with praise and portion size I also remember passing out LOTS! being sent home from school, not being able to concentrate… I passed out so many times at one stage they thought I had a brain tumor. It was just anaemia paired with too little food and I don’t want that for my little guy.
I know my mom tried her best I even had separate meals, but I just didn’t have a healthy relationship with food and even sneakily threw food away – sorry mom…
In the interest of getting Aidan to have a healthier relationship with food, I started him on proper home made food from 6 months which he loved and ate with gusto…then he turned one!
I spoke to a professional Greta Williams from Nurture Naturally about getting my picky eater to eat…
Greta gave me the following advice, I’m putting it on as a jpeg so you can print it out and keep…
This is where we are on the list of things he eats:
– Squish Puree (the only way you get veg in)
– Thin cut oven baked chips
– Yogurt
– Provita
– Apples (he actually stole this from a friend’s kitchen once)
– Grapes
– Popcorn (this is his favourite thing in the world)
– mini Cheddars
– half a vanilla biscuit here and there
– dry toast
– dark chocolate
– flings/lightly salted lays
he drinks full cream milk, tea, water and the occasional fruit juice
See not the healthiest and apparently he is a vegetarian 🙁 everything else makes him physically run away or make himself vomit
How do you deal with a picky eater?
*Oh if you want to contact Greta you can over here www.NurtureNaturally.co.za and if you are in the PE area you can even order healthy kiddies snacks from her (she spoke at BabyBlogZA’s mommy breakfast)
Fjord was a picky eater until he was about 5, then improved dramatically but he still doesn't like chicken or red meat. Acacia (age 4) won't even try many foods, particularly fruits which I know she would like if she would just try them. I've decided that most children are just picky, some worse than others. You have given some good tips from Nurture Naturally, and I agree with most, particularly them cooking with you. I'm not too sure about the congratulations however (although I still do it sometimes), I have wondered if that can lead to comfort eating later in life. Somewhere at the back of the mind may remain the idea "eating makes me a good girl/boy". My eldest daughter was a little string bean who hardly ate, now as an adult she comfort eats and has major issues with her weight.
I totally get what you say, like eating shouldn't be something you achieve 🙂 it helps to know that this is kinda normal 🙂
We're pretty hardcore with food. They eat what we give them or they don't eat. It probably sounds harsh, but if you take away the food they don't like and replace it with food they like once, they'll expect it every single time. So far our kids eat pretty much everything except for curried foods and tomato. This approach doesn't work for everyone though, so sterkte!
Thanks I need it…been take it or leave it and he opts for leave it every time 🙁
Speak to me!! My son is autistic and he is the KING of picky eaters! Think Spag Bol every night for ten years! I have been working on this slowly and we are making progress.
Hats off to you for sure!!!