Tips for Picky Eaters!

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Tips for Picky Eaters!
34
Wed, 08-10-2005 - 10:37am

This topic comes up on a regular basis, and I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread full of these tips which we can bump up now and again. Kind of a one-stop shop for this question. Plus I have all this stuff in my head NOW. I want to write it down before I forget!

Tip #1: Forget old wives' tales.
"He'll eat when he is hungry" may not apply to our kids who often have sensory issues and may not FEEL hunger in the same way as the old wives. Or they may feel it and not make the connection to eat! Either way, this rule does not apply, so discard it and follow your instinct.

Tip #2 Establish ground rules around eating and mealtimes:
This way everyone knows the expectations, boundaries and limitations. Rules may evolve with time. Here are some examples from my own house:

Rule #1 You don't get your treat unless you finish dinner. Finishing dinner does not mean cleaning your plate. Mom or Dad decides when you have eaten enough. We do this with concrete rules. Two more chicken nuggets, then you are done. Three big spoons of peas, Four more greenbeans (for smaller kids who can't count; separate the required eating from the rest). This negates the need to define "some".

Rule #2: If there is a new food on your plate you must *try* it. "Trying it" means puttng it in your mouth,and chewing it. If you don't like it, you may spit it into your napkin, take a drink, and a lot of credit for trying and you don't have to eat any more of it (this is *very* important, as it establishes trust). If you try it and you *do* like it and eat it, we make a huge fuss of you and you may get an exra treat -providing you finish dinner per rule #1!

Rule #3 (for parents) New foods are introduced one at a time, in very small quantities and together with loved and familiar foods. Initially a portion of vegtable may consist of three baby peas or sweetcorn kernels. If the food is tasted and rejected, it is not presented again for several months (we periodically re-try). The following day we will not try a new food, but may try again in a few days. If a food is tried and accepted, we slowly build up the quantity over time, to the point where the kid will eat a complete portion of that new food, before we move on to the next new food. Slowly and steadily over time, the range will grow.

Tip #3 Condiments are OK.
Peter went through a "drown everything with ketchup" phase. I figured that was OK as long as he ate the veggie, rice or whatever. Later I would work on reducng his ketchup intake. Over time, he gradually reduced it by himself, so now he eats those foods plain. A waitress in our (now sadly extinct) local diner told a story of a boy who used to get a hot dog and fries with a side of chocolate sauce. He would dip each bite of the regular food in the chocolate sauce, but he cleared his plate. I don't know if I personally would go that far, but I thought I'd put it out there that people do!

Tip #4 No condiments are OK too.
You may have the sauce/gravy on the side, or not at all. Some kids just can't stand sauce or gravy, and that's OK.

Tip #5 You (or Mom) may play with your food.
Sometimes the problem is not getting the kid to eat a food, but to consume enough food to constitute a meal. Again, I think a lot of this is peculiar to our kids who may not feel hunger in the regular way, or who may have other interests which override the desire to eat.

I have found the fastest way to get my daughter to scoff down brocolli is to have it 'run away' shreiking "Don't eat me! Pleeeeease". She takes rather perverse delight in grabbing it and munching it. She particularly likes if I cut a word off midway. "Don't eat m...". I'll probably have to work on her Dark Side later, but for now, this works for both of us. For some bizarre reason, she also like to have me make the food sing. (Actually, that is the only time she tolerates my singing!)

Peter likes to name his food. "This is Fred. Now I'm eating Fred". Sometimes he'll act out a whole scenario where the other green beans (or whatever) look for "Fred" and wonder where "Fred" has gone (then he demonstrates and sneds them to join Fred). I encourage this imaginative play. Happily, he has never named his food "Paula"!

Singing a song (1 bite after each line), or repeating a rhyme may work for some kids

Harness natural competitiveness: I am not ashamed to have my kids "race" to finish their peas, or gain bragging right on how may seconds (rare) they have consumed, or how much of a new food they have tried/eaten.

Tip #6 For food with flecks in it:
Introduce flecks slowly. Take an established staple, such as Mac & cheese and place ONE tiny piece of parsley on it (right on top, from whence it can easily be removed). See how the child reacts. If s/he freaks out, try moving the fleck to the side of the plate. or onto another plate and away to a point where preferably it may be seen ansd it is tolerated. Then slowly try to bring it back (over time, closer with each meal that cntains the mac&Cheese). If you get to the point where the child eats the favorite staple with a fleck, next time present it with a few more flecks, and so on until s/he will eat flecky mac&cheese. Then try to introduce a tiny piece of a new dish with flecks, per Rule #2.

Tip #7 Grow your own food, if possible.
If kids help with growing and cariing for a fruit or vegatable, they are WAY more likely to eat it. (it's not a guarantee, however).

Tip #8 Having your kids help in the kitchen may de-mystify some foods.
We started this with tacos. Kids could help by picking the tomatoes, putting out the condiments and prepared dishes, peparing the tacos shells for heating, grating cheese, etc. It is still the only way my daughter will eat gound beef (ground turkey works well too, BTW). The "no food touching" rule seems not to apply to tacos as I present everything at table in a separate bowl/plate, and they construct the tacos themselves at the table. (yes, it's messy, but the table and the kids wipe clean).

I think that is all from me. What did I forget?

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Avatar for betz67
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 08-12-2005 - 1:42pm

Valerie, they also sell other sieves that don't have the crank thing-- that are less expensive but not nearly so much fun for my kids to use, that you can push the soft apples through w/ a wooden spoon. this might be the way to go if you don't want to sink much money into the whole process.

I do can somethings, but mostly freeze foods in season because freezing perserves more of the nutrients. If you're interested in canning foods a great not expensive book is Ball Blue Book. it has easy step by step intructions. I grew up on a farm where all the veggies and fruits we ate all year were from our own garden, I learned to can and freeze by helping my mom.

heres a good website http://www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

Betsy

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 12:43am

Betzy,

Thanks a ton. I used to make homemade applesauce and had my mom's ancient food mill. matter of fact, Cait was a picky baby who wouldn't eat baby food and we were dirt poor so it was cheaper to make it. The kid lived off homemade applesauce practically. I either gave the food mill back or lost it in a move about 6 moves ago and haven't seen them since. I have to check out those links and see if I can find where to get one. Making applesauce is just no fun without one.

Now if the kids want homemade I cheat. I get applesause with no added anything from the store. (apples, water and asorbic acid) and add my own wee bit of sugar and cinamon and warm it slowly on the stove. Then still think it is mine, but I can tell the difference.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 6:54am

thanks betsy!!

i do know how to can, but i find it very time consuming. if there was a way to freeze things, i would do that.

are there other options for the applesauce for mashing? i have used a hand masher, and a hand mixer. i have a food processer. but i know that these wouldn't get the skins out. whenever i make it, it ends up being soupy because i add too much water for boiling.

valerie

~Valerie
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 10:53am
Thats a really great idea (pass the pepper). In my house we usd to just take turns telling about the best and worst parts of our day. We really need to get back into this important family time. Lately me and my dh will eat after the kids or in the living room because it's just plain unenjoyable. Between one who inhales food and cannot breath through his nose and the other who is so darm sensitive to any noise, others food combo's ect... it's just not pleasant.
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 11:07am
we do the same. with the boys going to bed by 630, they get dinner at 430. then dh and i enjoy dinner together at 7ish
~Valerie
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 08-13-2005 - 4:17pm

We used to be great about all eating dinner together until last year. My DH has class every Tuesday night and often was either teaching or taking classes other nights too. We had therapy late 2 nites a week with either the play therapist, OT or horsebackriding so on those nights it is quickie throw together dinner where I would feed the kids then make some salad or something for me and sit down with you all with my dinner.

If we ate together it was about 7pm (my kids go in at 8:30). Hopefully this school year won't be bad but with Cait in middle school it may be. Between homework, therapy appointments and the couple things I would like to sign her up for it is crazy.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-15-2005 - 3:59pm

Great thread Paula!

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Sat, 08-27-2005 - 11:20pm
*bumping this up to the top*
-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
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Registered: 05-15-2003
Tue, 10-25-2005 - 10:57pm
Is the picky eating a symptom? my daugher is very picky, she does not like any kind of sauces, dressing etc. maybe honey sometimes. no veggies, only bannanas. i see alot of what i have been reading containing to her. thanks
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Registered: 06-25-2003
Wed, 10-26-2005 - 2:03pm

It's not a symptom, per se, but we do see a lot of "our" kids who are really picky eaters. The easons for it could vary from sensory (texture aversion) to good old-fashioned ornery (orneriness? is that a word? LOL I'm confused.)

There are plenty of picky eaters out there who don't have a PDD, too (my pediatrician is always falling over herself to tell me this). I think many of "our" kids take it to an extreme, though.

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com