Any suggestions for a super picky eater?

[conniez]

DD is 19 mos. and eats a very limited amount of "adult" foods (cut up string cheese, fruits, toast, etc.), but the majority of the time she likes things pureed. Her pediatrician keeps telling me that as long as I keep it at least half regular food and half pureed items, it's okay...but that I really need to get her introduced to the new textures. It's not that I don't try...we try at every meal, but she spits EVERYTHING out. I'm really at my wits end between trying to make sure she's fed, but also trying to get her to accept new foods and textures. Any ideas?

[hardysmom]

2 of 3 kids has a lot of food issues. Best advice is to relax. They will pick up on your anxiety and be more resistant.

My DS ate baby-food peas and pasta until he was 4. By then, he only had 3-4 other foods in his whole menu. He would throw everything else up on his plate.

As your ped said, as long as they are healthy and gaining weight, you don't have a problem. It is great if they have a diverse diet, but it is a over-rated so far as picking battles.

Introduce new foods in fun ways. Mix the new with the familiar. Encourage kids to try, but don't force them to eat things. My kids had sensory issues and would actually throw up foods if I made them take a bite. Of course, by the time I made them eat, we were usually worked up about it.

Our OT gave me a great strategy which is a compromise. If they won't eat, encourage them to smell/touch. Let them taste it by just licking a tiny amount, but not putting it in their mouth. I'd let DS poke foods with a toothpick, which he liked a lot.

The more something new is presented and the more familiar they are with the feel, the more likely that they will give it a shot.

I wish I could say that this worked completely and that my kids now eat a well rounded diet, but they don't. However, it did make meals MUCH less stressful and more pleasant for all of us.

Still, I think with "normal" picky eaters, this approach can help a lot.

DS that had the worst problems still has a limited diet. He won't eat any fruit except apple sauce. His only veggies are raw carrots. He likes meat, but not if it is "mixed-up" with anything else. That is it. He is strong, active and healthy. He does well in 2nd grade, has tons of friends, and is about a year from earning a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

The hardest part has not been with him, but the bad table behaviors he (and I) modeled for my other kids when the problems were at their height. The dining table was a place we all dreaded. That is not worth it.

Stephanie