Help me with a picky eater

[trcy]

DS is 18 months and is proving to be a worse eater than his sister. If I give him something he doesn't want, he will throw it on the floor and scream for food. The only things he will eat consistently are: fruits, cheese, peanut butter, breads/carbs and meatballs. I really don't want to be making him a separate meal every day, but how tough can I be in him? DD is old enough to understand the consequences of not eating her meal, but he is too young to make that connection. Any advice?


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[azzeps]

I feel your pain. DS is going through a picky stage right now. Just keep putting the food on the table, and eventually he will eat it. Take it away when it gets tossed on the floor. Some kids like to dip things.... so maybe ketchup? Ranch dressing? Balsamic vinegar? Hummus? Lots of things can be dipped and makes it kind of fun. Even if they just lick the dip off. I always try to include one item I'm pretty sure the picky one will eat, and then the rest is whatever the family meal is, because you really don't want to "cook special" for one person. It's hard enough to come up with one meal, much less two!!! Good luck! Hang in there. Check out Ellyn Satter if you want some reading materials.

[KpbS]

I have a friend who did something smart I never thought of the other day. We were at her home and her 18 mo didn't want the food she was served and instead of tossing it on the floor, she was teaching her to put the food in the cup holder part of her highchair. It was kind of a "no thank you" zone!

I agree with keeping on offering veggies, even if you put a dash of salt/butter/sugar on them or serve them with a dip. Broccoli with lemon, peas with some butter, butternut squash with a bit of brown sugar on top, etc.

[ArizonaGirl]

It's so hard because I have a picky kid who would go hungry over eating something she doesn't want.

She is definitely not a "Live to Eat" kids she is an "Eat to Live" gal.

We go to feeding therapy once a week and if your interested I can share more about that, but my advice is to just keep trying.

First smelling the food, then touching it, then having it on your plate, then licking it, touching it to your mouth, etc.

I also won't let her have any more of the preferred food until she makes an attempt at the non-preferred food.