once picky toddler= now a good eater?

[kristac]

Tell me about your once impossibly picky toddler that is now a good eater. What food/meal stratigy do you think worked? I need some hope!!

[bnme]

DS1 was a picky toddler and is becoming a much better eater by age 7. He ate great until about 3 then had a very limited selection of foods he would eat until about 5. He has slowly expanded his horizons but he is still not the best eater and has a few odd hang-ups (he will eat any type of bread and various things one would put in a sandwich but refuses to even bite an actual assembled sandwich). I think the best thing to do is not obsess about it and accept it. I think the more you push the worse they get. Focus on the good things they do eat (my DS eats tons of raw carrots and cucumbers, and that is basically it for veggies) and continue to offer other things without forcing. Try and make things that might be appealing to them (that are slightly different then their usuals) without expecting them to eat something totally out there. Don't let others opinions make you feel bad (I still bring along a cheese sandwich for DS2 when visiting someone's house because I know the chances are slim to none that he will eat what they are serving). I tried refusing to make something altered/different for him but my DS's would literally not eat if given certain foods. I would rather offer them something healthy and balanced that they will eat. It had gotten to the point that my DS was only eating cheerios because he would not eat what I had made. He would skip the meal and load up on cheerios or milk for snack.

DS2 has followed a similar path but is still very limited (he is 5). He has started expanding a bit but it is going very slowly.

Hang in there! I know it is very frustrating.

[kristac]

Thanks.

DS is 2.5 and must survive on sunshine and tantrums cause he eats NOTHING. I try not to make it a battle and try to believe he will eat when he is hungry but that just does not seem to be the case. I truely believe I have the one child who would actually starve instead of eating a chicken nugget. He is THAT stubborn. :banghead: I have a 5 year old as well so I can't be making a seperate 2 year old meal (which he will still probably not eat) because then the 5 year old wants something special too and won't eat the meal I've already made. I just need some BTDT moms to tell me that this is a phase and it too will pass and someday every meal time will not make me want to give my children to passing gypsies. :6:

[KrystalS]

DS1 was a picky toddler and is becoming a much better eater by age 7. He ate great until about 3 then had a very limited selection of foods he would eat until about 5. He has slowly expanded his horizons but he is still not the best eater and has a few odd hang-ups (he will eat any type of bread and various things one would put in a sandwich but refuses to even bite an actual assembled sandwich). I think the best thing to do is not obsess about it and accept it. I think the more you push the worse they get. Focus on the good things they do eat (my DS eats tons of raw carrots and cucumbers, and that is basically it for veggies) and continue to offer other things without forcing. Try and make things that might be appealing to them (that are slightly different then their usuals) without expecting them to eat something totally out there. Don't let others opinions make you feel bad (I still bring along a cheese sandwich for DS2 when visiting someone's house because I know the chances are slim to none that he will eat what they are serving). I tried refusing to make something altered/different for him but my DS's would literally not eat if given certain foods. I would rather offer them something healthy and balanced that they will eat. It had gotten to the point that my DS was only eating cheerios because he would not eat what I had made. He would skip the meal and load up on cheerios or milk for snack.

DS2 has followed a similar path but is still very limited (he is 5). He has started expanding a bit but it is going very slowly.

Hang in there! I know it is very frustrating.

You just described my 6 yo DD! Especially the assembled sandwich! There are about 10 foods that she will eat. She has been picky since age 2. But it has gotten worse vs better. I really let it bother me for a few years but now I realize that she will eat what she likes or she won't eat at all. Forcing her to eat something is not going to help things. I offer her whatever we are eating, and she will occasionally try it but rarely likes it. She doesn't eat junk food, mostly fruit and breads/grain type food. I can't tell you how often people comment negatively on DDs eating habits. I just say she's healthy, she isn't eating junk so it doesn't bother me. My family is definitely the worst when it comes to the comments.
I'm hoping she eats more of a variety as she gets older, but if not I'm okay with it! Definitely doesn't make preparing lunches easy!

[karstmama]

i'm sure you've seen this recommendation, but try ellyn satter's books like 'child of mine - feeding with love and good sense'. they are quite practical & help you keep your cool, which to me is really the important thing - not making a big deal and letting your little one have the control to figure it all out.

[egoldber]

My older DD was a "good" eater until she was about 3. Then it quickly deteriorated. She eats more now than she did then, and has gradually expanded her food repertoire. But it still isn't large. It makes eating out tough because part of the issue is she does not like most typical "kid food".


he will eat any type of bread and various things one would put in a sandwich but refuses to even bite an actual assembled sandwich

Us too!!! She won't eat a ham and cheese sandwich. She'll eat ham and cheese and bread, but not together. Seriously it was a MAJOR victory when we got her to discover she liked grilled cheese!


I really let it bother me for a few years but now I realize that she will eat what she likes or she won't eat at all. Forcing her to eat something is not going to help things. I offer her whatever we are eating, and she will occasionally try it but rarely likes it. She doesn't eat junk food, mostly fruit and breads/grain type food. I can't tell you how often people comment negatively on DDs eating habits.

:yeahthat: People seem to be personally affronted about my kid's eating habits which just astounds me since it is so totally none of their business. If I hear "she won't starve herself" one more time, I think I'll scream.

Her eating is what it is. I've learned to let it go more or less successfully. DH deals with it less well than I do. One problem that drives him nuts is when she orders something in a restaurant and then doesn't like it. This makes him really angry, when I think we should be supportive of her attempts to try new things and order foods she is not sure she will like.

Anyway, I can appreciate how tough it is to have a picky eater.

[HIU8]

DS was a good eater until about 2 or 2.5. He is 5 now and eats the following:

Pizza
PB&J
gefilte fish
yogurt
weddind soup
hamburgers
spagettios
broccoli
veggie sausages
milk
Mac and Cheese
jelly sandwiches
cinamin graham crakers
some cereals
strawberries
apples
bananas

DS has been slowly adding new items to the list. He used to hate french fries (I was happy about that--and now he wants them when we go out).

I'm waiting for the time when DD suddenly becomes picky (I hope it doesn't happen). She is 2.5 and right now she will try anything and likes almost anything (except brussel sprouts). If DS is eating something though--she will want only that.

[alirebco]

Just wondering what you all define as a "good eater." I noticed a lot of you said that your child used to be a good eater and are now picky. What did they eat before that you considered them a good eater.

DS is a very healthy eater but he's only 2. He will try anything over and over until he likes it. He eats all green vegetables, including broccoli, peas, green beans, kale, spinach, etc and he eats every other vegetable as well with the exception of raw tomatoes. He eats spiced foods - spicy, ethnic, etc. I know this can all change but he has always eaten the same meals as us and he doesn't eat really any junk food with the exception of a homemade cookie maybe once a week. I know this can change at any moment however, lol.

My sister was a very picky eater as a child and she still is somewhat. I think some people are supertasters and are more affected by the differences in certain foods.

[HIU8]

DD eats pretty much anything and she eats a variety of foods at a meal (she will eat protein, veggie, carb, fruit) at a meal. Whereas DS does not eat a number of different foods in one sitting (maybe 1 or 2 but that's it). A lot has to do with the textures and his rigidity in controlling his surroundings and himself. He is slowly breaking free of that though.

[egoldber]

I think some people are supertasters and are more affected by the differences in certain foods.

This is very definitely the case with my DD. She also has an amazing sense of smell. She can smell and taste even the tiniest amount of an ingredient in a food. It's actually pretty astounding. She also has a truly incredibly ability to detect minute differences between brands. I joke with DH that she has a bright future as a sensory scientist LOL!

Before she was 3 she would eat many, many things that she will no longer eat, but not as wide a variety as your DS. She would also try almost anything, but that is now no longer the case. She can work herself up to trying new things, but it has to be of her own volition.

Again, our issue is not that she only eats junk. In fact, she won't eat most junky foods because they are too "insert adjective here": salty, crispy, crunchy, bumpy, rough, sweet, sour, spicy, etc.

In general she prefers bland foods and foods in isolation.

ETA: And for her, it is also about anxiety. Age 3 is when she first started exhibiting some of the symptoms of anxiety as well (in retrospect). Apparently kids with anxiety are often notoriously picky eaters, which I did not realize until pretty recently.

[saleenl]

Just wondering what you all define as a "good eater." I noticed a lot of you said that your child used to be a good eater and are now picky. What did they eat before that you considered them a good eater.

My son ate like yours until somewhere between 2.5 and 3. Now, at 4.5, he declares most foods to be "yucky" without tasting them. He eats green beans and occasionally peas but that's about it for green vegetables. He likes corn on the cob. He has tried broccoli about three times in the past few months and it literally made him gag, even though he choked it down. (Although we hadn't even mentioned it and almost never have it, he thought he might get a dessert if he ate broccoli!)

And, like so many have mentioned, he won't eat combos of foods that he likes individually. He did eat half a sandwich the other day that had bread, a slice of cheese, and a slice of lunchmeat. Of course, he has been unwilling to try it again since then. We just keep putting dinner on his plate and try to keep items separate if possible, like sauce on the side of noodles. Strangely enough, his favorite cheese is this very stinky extra sharp aged cheddar. He rejects more mild cheeses. He also eats black olives like they are candy.

That said, I think that the foods he eats are healthy, I just wish he had more variety. If it were up to him, we would eat pork chops, green beans, and cornmeal biscuits every single night. Well, except for the nights we eat pancakes and smoothies.

[karstmama]

one more thought for those of you with older kiddos...i may have posted it before, because i can't wait until jameson's old enough to understand it.

according to a romance novel ('til we meet again', judith krantz, so you know that's some authority there :) ), in france you get a wish whenever you try a food that's new to you. so for some with reluctant try-ers of new stuff, that might be a nudge while still leaving the power with the child.

[Meatball Mommie]

While I don't have picky eaters per se, my boys, like all children, can be particular about their foods. I think all parents go through some sort of battle with their kids and eating at some point.

I agree with all the pp - just keep offering different things, but don't get upset or offended if they won't try them or say they they don't like them. My husband's biggest pet peeve is saying you don't like something just based on appearance and before you actually taste it, so we do go through battles trying to get the boys to taste new foods. I like to try new things myself, so there have been ocassions where the boys have seen me dislike something and they know it's ok to not like everything under the sun (like broccoli rabe and brussel sprouts, yuck!)

I think one thing we do that has been helpful on the fruit and vegetable front is to grow our own. When we grow peas and beans, the boys try them right in the garden (but when I buy them out of season, they don't like them as much). It's fun to show them how a particular fruit/vegetable grows and have them help care for it - even if it's just a few beans or a tomato plant in a pot on your deck. You can even grow your own potatoes in a 5-gal bucket very easily. If you can't manage to do that, even going to a farm to pick your own berries or peas is fun and may be helpful...

Hang in there...some people will always be particular (I personally hate the word picky) about their food. My SIL is very sensitive to texture and will say she doesn't like how a food feels in her mouth, and it has nothing to do with taste! They may or may not grow out of it, but it's ok either way, imo.