From the article: Best Foods for Kids
Most nutrition experts recommend against forcing kids to eat foods they don't like or making them "clean" their plates. So how do you get them to eat more vegetables, fruits, and other healthy foods? How do you avoid power struggles and mealtime battles in your home? How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods? Parents Respond
Stuck with a picky eater
- I really don't know what to do with my picky eater! I've been very gradually introducing grilled meats instead of hot dogs and nuggets, and he loves fruit, but the only veg he will eat is carrots (with lots of ketchup.) I buy lower salt/lower sugar peanut butter, but the low-fat version has more of both of those, presumably to add flavor. I encourage yogurt instead of sweets, but he still gets lots of treats at school and parties. I use whole-grain white bread, so he doesn't know it's healthy, and sneak multigrain pasta without him knowing it. I think if he were more active, that would really help, but he doesn't like sports. We got him a dog, and are going to make him help us walk the dog!
- —Guest Daffodil Mom
cereal
- My child will eat pretty much anything, but there are times when she just wants a sweeter taste, so I will add 10 fruit loops to her bowl of cheerios. That way, she can have a little of the sweetness, without having an entire bowl of sugary cereal. Also, she loves oatmeal if you add about 1/8 of a teaspoon of sugar, some vanilla and sometimes she likes a dash of cinnamon.
- —Guest annonymous
bribes
- i am ashamed to say that i have to tell my children that they won't get dessert if they don't eat their veggies.
- —Togram
Creative marketing!
- We like to come up with fun names for healthy foods, and it usually works pretty well. The top of a green pepper gets sliced off and called a "pepper hat" -- my daughter gets mad now if I eat the "pepper hat." Anything circular is a pizza ("quesadilla pizzas" etc.). And I learned quickly to use the phrase "purple orange," not "blood orange." Just don't oversell, or it will backfire. And make sure it really is tasty. Farmer's markets are great for that.
- —mamatech
My Kids
- One of my kids eats very well. The other - not so much. We offer lots of healthy choices to both, but one is just a very picky eater and won't touch veggies or many new foods. As we continue to offer small pieces of things we are eating, don't force things, offer lots of healthy things we know he likes, and don't provide a lot of juice or junk food, we know he eats okay and he surprises us every once in a while by trying something new. I'm not sure why the other one eats so much healthier, as I didn't do much different with him.
- —JBMom2
