Picky Eater - Zachary, LA

I don't have any advice for you I'm just glad to find someone else with the same problem. My two and a half year old lives off chicken nuggets and popcorn. I have tried everything also... Dr. tells me not to push he'll eat more when he gets ready but I like you feel bad because he eats the same things everyday.

My son does the same thing and he is 2 also. I think it is just the age they are at. I read on one of the doctor website that you just keep introducing new thing and it takes like 15 time before they will try something new, so keep offering. I usually give him what he likes at lunch then he has to eat what I make everyone for dinner or he doesn't eat until breakfast.

Have you tried the adult food approach? We tried it quite successfully. When she is eating her chicken nuggets, you have something really tasty. Tell her it is adult food and she is too young to eat it. She will be begging you for adult food before you know it. You can also try likening the food to something else that they know. My son started to prefer "trees" (broccoli) over donuts. Cauliflower is just frosted trees. Ants on a log (raisons on celery with peanut butter) is another hit. Swimming carrots (Carrots in dip) are much more tasty than carrots alone. Make the food fun when you can, but don't give in.
Shirey J
Mother of 5

Is she a cheese pizza only kid, or does she eat other toppings? If she doesn't pick off the toppings, she can actually get lots of good nutrition from pizza. You just control what toppings she gets. For instance, breakfast can be pizza with a biscuit crust, gravy for the sauce and scrambled eggs, sausage and cheese for the toppings. Lunch can be ham and pineapple pizza, dinner can be hamburger with olives and tiny green peppers (since they are kind of bitter, be sure you cut them very small). You can even put broccoli and carrots on a pizza! You can buy premaid pizza crusts or even refrigerated crust that comes in a can like biscuits. Be creative and patient. That being said, if you are more concerned with her eating HABITS and don't want to become a short order cook, it is also OK to offer your 2 year old the exact same meal (with-in reason, of course) as the rest of the family. She will eat when she is hungry. Don't get into a battle of wills with your child-"you can't get up until you eat your peas!" because the child will win every time. Simply give her a reasonable amount of time to finish her meal, then take the plate. Offer snacks at a regular time every day and do not allow her to fill up on them. You can even offer the left-over meal for snack. Children will not starve themselves! You do need to talk to her doctor before trying this method as your child will probably need a good multivitamin. I can give you this advice because I am currently raising my own little picky eater. I lean more towards the second method, but I try to make sure there is at least one item that she will eat for every meal. Good luck!

My son is 5 and his main food has been peanut butter for most of his life. He wouldn't even eat chicken nuggests at one point, and still doesn't like pizza. I have a 2 year old daughter following in his footsteps. I groan all the time about what I have done wrong, because we have tried EVERYTHING on the list of advice people have given you--from "hiding" good foods in bad foods, to helping me cook, to bribery, to no food in the house but healthy food, to letting him starve. Once he didn't eat for three days and then got violently sick when he did eat again. . . so I don't really go with the advice "kids will eat when they are hungry" because some kids are just really stubborn. BUT... I will say that I have learned a few things, and that he is a little better eater than he has been. I think the big issues are: BE CONSISTENT, BE GRADUAL, AND BE CREATIVE ABOUT WHAT ADVICE WORKS FOR YOU. You've got to decide what to do (and your gameplan will change a little everytime you get more advice!) but stick to it! My boy is still super picky and doesn't eat many healthy foods (I am hoping by the time he is a teenager, that he won't freak out at unfamiliar stuff) but here are some highlights of advice people have already given you that I think work (even though I've only struggled through this a few more years than you).
1) not letting dinnertime/food issues become a power struggle. You know how kids are learning boundaries all the time, and they will push back hard when we push. Even when we are strict we need to do it calmly and quietly, and not out of control--they will follow our "emotional" lead.
2) Offering it to them over and over and over. Try making a chart (for yourself or them or both) and checking it off every time (and don't do 15 meals in a row, try offering the item twice or three times a week).
3) Eating time should be fun, and a family affair, but your not going to achieve that right away. My two oldest (5 and 2) eat at a childs table in the kitchen BEFORE my husband and I eat in the dining room so I can focus on what they are doing and supervise. Otherwise your own dinner is ruined. I want to eat family dinners some day, but this is the stage where we are at and it seems to be helping.
4) As far as the meals themselves--don't drive yourself crazy cooking tons of special stuff. Food that looks like a zoo might work for some kids, but it doesn't for mine. Their menu right now is breakfast (non-sweet cereal/milk), and one meal they will eat (for us: chicken pieces and corn, or peanut butter and apples) and one meal of foods I am trying to introduce. Sometimes these are every other day. Also--small portions (and we only offer 2 items at a time) and I only give them a little to drink with their meal (to wash it down but not spoil their appetite).
5) Make a huge effort to cut out the "bad foods"--but it won't happen overnight. Try writing out your game plan, assign dates to each goal, and stick to it. Example goal: No more happy meals. If you get three a week, try two weeks with one per week, then a month of every other week, then 6 months of once a month. Way less convenient, right? but you have to decide if it is worth it.
6) Finally--don't let this battle overwhelm your relationship with your child (although it does effect regular bowel movements which can affect potty training which can effect ad infinitum-your sanity!) Our picky eaters are probably healthy enough to survive, but we know they aren't as healthy as they could be! I NEVER thought MY kids would be picky! But I don't think we are bad moms, we are just learning how to be better ones.
GOOD LUCK. It is good to know other families struggle with this, and we should encourage each other.

A.,

There is a new and wonderful cookbook out there it is called Deceptivly Delicious it is written by Jessica Seinfeld. You can pick this up at Target stores, it has a pink cover with a mom on the front winking. It is full of healthy recipes and a great sneaky way to feed your children veggies, and they are totally clueless. I would suggest picking it up. Like many of the others here I too believe that your two year old can't eat what you do not have. Stay strong, good luck. Being a mom is a really tough job.
M.

Hi, I'm P., I have been taking care of kids for 27yrs.
Most eating problems kids have is because of the parents it is not ever the child, nor are disapline problems it is also the parents. A two year old only eats what the parent will give her, you have tought your child that if she throw's a tantum long enough she will get what ever she wants. Did you know that the Chicken nuggets and pizza has over 998grams of sodium, each.. some of it has up to 1200 if not more, this will cause your child to have disabilitsy but most of all health issues when she is older.

NO 2yr old should have this much POWER>>>> in a house hold.

How to stop this behavior>
1. Do not buy this kind of food, start getting apples, bannas, grapes, pears, fun food and start making fun things to do with them.. put them in jello, or chop them up and make faces and animals on the plate with peantbutter. or even cream cheese.

take vegetables chop in small pieces, brocc, califlw, carrt, potatoes cooked, ect

do not ever put food to gather on a plate leave it so the child can and will have free choice. NO Casserole.. never.. they hate them.. keep foods separated. with a dip, a glass of water, or milk, juice ect.

Last, it is ok for the first few days, if your child choses not want to eat! but she will "cave in" and eat for she will get hungry. At this time it takes 22days to change a behavior.

YOUR BEHAVIOR.. NOT HER'S. Women I have been taking care of kid from 2 weeks old to 13teen 7 days a week 24hrs a day for 27yrs. If a child has a behavior problem, or eating distorter, or even sleep, wetting the bed, 80% of it is the parents, 10% is medical, 10% is childcare givers.

Stand up to your kids,Teach them, be role models. P.

My son went thru that phase too. He still loves Chicken nuggets a french fries now, but he will let me get a variety in there. Around 3 years old he went thru a hot dog phase, he would eat ONLY hotdogs, with and without bread, with and with out fries. He also loved to show independance by getting them out of the fridge himself. From hotdogs it went to Balogna, lol. It goes on and on, he is now a very healthy and active 6 year old, my doctor said as long as he is eating he is fine. I think we would go thru a pack of hot dogs a day for a while there. Flinstone vitamins are the answer and my son loved them. He would make sure to remind me every morning to give him one. So he got his nutrition from those and a full belly from the other "stuff". :-) I hope this helps.

A. in Alabama

Children will eat what they are given to eat. You introduced her to junk food and that is what she wants now. Chicken nuggets and pizza have no nutritional value, are full of bad fat and chemicals. Your 2 year old is controling you already! I would not give my children such food at all. If you had given her just healthy fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, that is what she will like. She won't starve. Use tough love and put fruit and veggies on her plate and she will eat if you set boundaries and don't give in. She will love you for it when she is older and healthy!

B. S. RN CCM

A.,
My third child ate great untill we started him on solids. He loved all veggies espically carrots from the jar so that his skin would reflect orange. When the solids started he would acually gag. The doctor advised it might be texture and to keep introducing all foods, however even changing texture, by age three he was still doing this, and would only eat meat and bread. We started putting what we were eating in small portions, and like you we felt very wastfull. If he would eat on pea, one bean, or one piece of corn, we praised him and did not make him eat another at that sitting. This child would truly gag to the point of throwing up. Mental or not we had to get through it. He is now four, and it has not been an easy road but he now eats almost all vegitables again. Like all of us he has his favorites,but will accept small portions of even the less ddsieables. Every child is different. Good luck!

I have a cookbook that helps with kids that dont eat anything. You puree everything and mix in with the food and they dont know the difference. It is Jerry Signfild wife. She makes homemade chicken nuggets with spinach and the kids dont know the difference. Great cookbook and ideas in it. Sorry I am not at home to tell ya the name of it.
T

Both of my girls are the same way. I would suggest trying fried corn (looks like chicken nuggets, my 2 1/2 yr. old can't tell the difference) adds a little more nutritional value. Also, you can try tacos, never met a kid yet that doesn't love them, even if it's just meat and cheese if you make it with ground turkey instead of ground beef it's very healthy. Our pediatrician suggested (but it didn't work for us) that we hide cooked soft veggies under the cheese on pizza.

Kids don't eat much and that is an important thing to keep in mind. Walnut sized portions of all foods seems small, but that is all they need.

some recipes that worked good for me and my picky eater: chicken and noodles (chicken thighs, cream of chicken soup and veges in a slow cooker, served over noodles; lots of recipes online), sweet potatoes and ham, spaghetti and meatballs (frozen meatballs from sams are easy!) really any pasta and red sauce meal (baked ziti, lasagna, chicken parmigiana, stuffed shells - again from sams), velveeta shells and cheese with pork loin (they like this because it is so tender). Of course peanut butter and jelly are staples, but so are bologna sandwiches. These meals and lunches are all simple to make and eat.

Sometimes it isn't what to eat, it is how it is presented. I know some friends who pretend they are different animals and the food they are eating is the food that animal eats (grass for horses, zebra for lions, etc). A good book for food presentations is super baby food, which is good for toddlers too.

For my family everyone eating together and eating the same thing helped. Then there is less wasted food, and your family models good behavior. I just got tired of making two meals. My girls eat earlier than we do sometimes, but they eat what we eat.

But really you might just have to let her go a little hungry. Say to her "this is the meal you eat and nothing else until the next meal". Don't give in at bedtime. She will soon learn to eat what she is given, even if it just a little bit. My pediatrician suggested something called "no thank you bites" one for each year of the child's age. So she has to eat 2 no thank you bites and then she is done.

A more gradual course might be to allow her to have healthy snack foods like cheese, peanut butter crackers, fruit at the end of her no thank you bites or instead of a meal or before bedtime. I would save the chicken nuggets and pizza for babysitter nights, or eating out, informing her they are for special occasions. It is hard when she is so young, especially if she has issues with texture or taste of certain things. I can tell from your concern you know that variety is almost more important than amount right now, so she can grow up to be a healthy eater.

Have her help you prepare the meal however she can, even if it is just to count out the meatballs or bring you the cans. My 5 year old recently created her own snack (gragham crackers with yogurt and blueberries on top) and she was so excited to eat it because she made it.

go check out the book by Jessica Seinfeld, Deceptively Delicious. I have a picky eater and saw her on Oprah, I purchased the book, and my picky eats not only healthy, but a variety of items. She is now excited about eating. If only she knew what she was really eating.

I grew up with a "one bite rule" and we have that in our house also. I am teaching my children that one day, you may just decide that you like broccoli after your **big girl 5th birthday**, or whatever. I also let my kids dip in ketchup, Ranch or Italian dressing- anything to get the veggies in them. I save the pasta, etc. til after they eat whatever food group they don't eat well (for my daughter, it used to be meat, for my son, it's veggies).

Also, if you let them pick things out at the store, they are more likely to at least try it. My daughter discovered she likes red wine vinagrette on spinach salad, because she helped pick it out. I know- she's weird for a 5 year old!!

But really, the dipping thing works for us.

J.

this too shall pass. do not be a short order cook. cook what you would normally and if she eats it she eats it if she doesn't she goes hungry, or goes back to the plate. no snacks within an hour of dinner time and no snacks afterward if she doesn't eat a reasonable amount (about a cup full of whatever you're serving). don't freak if she doesn't eat her veg, just keep offering. she'll find something she is willing to eat on the plate and just let her eat that. my three and a half year old was on a nothing but fats proteins and carbs kick for a while. we waited through it having dinner as normal and broccolli "trees" came to be a favorite about a year ago. since them he's started picking up veggie laden sauces, and even eating salad. don't cave in and serve nothing but chicken nuggets and pizza. just make the good stuff available and this stage will pass.

p.s. leftover veg and meats make great quesadillas and quiches!

Have you tried just not buying those foods? My neice ate nothing but chicken nuggets and fish sticks from Aldis for about a year (when she wasn't eating bacon and candy...). I saw my sister-in-law fix her entire plates of food, present them to the 2-yo then dump them, uneaten. My sister and I just shook our heads at the absurdity! If you quit buying them she'll HAVE to eat something else.

Hi A.,
My advice would to be to ,first of all cut down on snacks in the afternoon so she is hungry at supper time, then I would offer her some of what you and hubby are having to eat,, bite size so she can just pick it up and eat it herself,,, that way she doesn't feel forced to eat something she doesn't want... But then I would have to repeat what I heard a Dr. on TV say,,,, " Don't panic if your child wants a certain thing for every meal,,,, let them have it,,,, say for instance chicken nuggets,, or just whatever it is they are stuck on for the moment(of course I wouldn't do it if it were candy or something like that),,, anyway,,,the Dr. said,,,,, they will not eat chicken nuggets or weiners or pizza every day for the rest of their life... It is just a phase they are going through and this too shall pass!" lol

My children are grown, I now have four grandchildren,,, two of them will try new things,,, the other two are pretty adament about what they will eat,,,,so I don't argue, in time , they will branch out and try other things...

I think I would give your daughter a children's vitamin. That way you would know she is getting what she needs..
Good Luck!
L.

My child's eating habits are the one thing I would do over if I could go back. The day after he turned 9 months old, he decided that he was not going to eat any more baby food. The child did't have a tooth in his head, so I had to get a food chopper and chop everything up real fine, and he ate what we ate. I made the mistake of pre-judging him and didn't offer him the things I didn't think he would like, though. He is now extremely picky. We made a rule that he had to try at least one bite of everything on his plate. He cried thirty minutes one night over having to eat one bite of broccoli with cheese! I dreaded dinner!!Then we got the best piece of advice ever....
It came from Focus on the Family and was broadcast on KLOVE radio.
I make one meal and put it on our plates. He has until my husband and I are finished eating. If he is actually eating, then we will keep sitting at the table. If he is just playing, we take his plate and put it in the fridge. If he says he is hungry later, then we will heat the plate up for him. If he doesn't want it, then we figure that he isn't that hungry. Dinner has been so much less stressful because we aren't fighting with him (he is very strong willed)and he has actually tried new things and found that he likes them. He will not let himself go hungry.
I also like the idea of letting your daughter help cook. When you make a big deal of how big she is for helping and how great it is going to be, she will probably be excited to try it.
Good luck! I keep telling myself that my son will soon be a teenager and we won't be able to keep enough food in him and then maybe he won't be so picky!! :-)

My mother-in-law came to visit a couple of weeks ago, and she chopped up any veggie you can imagine with tiny slices of chicken and boiled them together to make a soup. My daughter doesn't eat much more than your two year old and she LOVED the soup.
She put peas, zucchini, carrots, green beans, potatoes, little noodles, chicken, sweet potatoes, onions and celery in it. Boil some water, chop the veggies really small and put them all together in the water until the noddles and chicken cook through. After it's done cooking, you barely notice the veggies, but the nutrition is in it! You can also freeze it but since it's so fresh it'll last only a couple of days in the fridge, then throw it out. Let me know if she likes it!! I pray it works!=)

Dear A.,
I know having a two year old is exhausting sometimes but, when it comes to eating, the key is patience. I beleive at this age, they haven't learned which foods are good and which ones are bad yet. It's up you us to begin that teaching process by introducing new veggies, meats and fruits. Put your baby in the highchair and be patient. Remember to tell your child the rules of lunchtime. You are in charge of teaching them that also. (over and over) At first she may cry and throw a fit and refuse to eat but give it another moment or two by distracting her and KEEP TRYING to give a bite. You will be able to tell if she doesn't like it or just being difficult. At any rate, try to remain calm and keep you voice low and consistent. It really won't take as long as you think. I promise you will feel much better once she learns lunch time rules.

You should try Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook. She incorporates pureed vegetables and other healthy ingredients into everyday foods. This is a link to the website http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/. Good luck!

Try letting her eat what you and your husband eat.
You can all try hamburgers, tacos, etc.

my daughter is the same way (chicken fingers and cheese pizza)
thats it peirod. she wont eat anything else either. I have tried to give her new foods, and she wont touch it. I have also tried to make her eat what everyone else is eating, she would rather go to bed hungry, or if by luck I do get her to try something new she will gag her self until she throws up.She will be 12 in less that a month and has been this way all her life.I have talked to her doctor about this, and he said as long as ahe is eating its fine. she drinks plenty of milk.She is under weight for her age so I (60 lbs.)We do not eat out, but maby once a month. so you can't blame it on fast food. Every now and then she will eat mash potatos (plain) with her chicken, but no often.
Good luck

A., I hope I can help. I've got 5 kids. Don't sweat this. All kids go thru stages. Pizza is fairly healthy, and chicken nuggets are ok, just watch the labels. Don't make this into a big deal. She is old enough now to start figuring out what stresses you. You and dad need to eat as many meals together with her and ignore what she is eating. Just make sure she hears you talk about how good the veggies, meat, bread, etc. are and eat a slow relaxing meal. If she shows any interest, let her take a piece off your plate and praise her for "looking" at it, then don't watch her to see if she eats it. Don't bribe her to eat things. She will not starve. Remember the world is full of children that have eating disorders and she will eat when she is hungry. Limit her juices and milk between meals, but let her have small snacks that will encourage her to eat but are not loaded with sugars. Make sure she takes a multi-vitamin every morning (this could be a trial and error deal until you find one she likes), and it will help to increase her appetite too. Let her help you in the kitchen, she's little but she can do some small things and she will learn that preparing and cooking is enjoyable and that will inspire her to look at food in a different way. Good luck, and thank God that you have a beautiful healthy child that already has a sense of self.

Speaking as a dietitian, the biggest mistake most parents make (and I don't know you, so I don't know if you do this or not) is not offering their child a particular food often enough. All three of my boys love broccoli, but it took literally 14 times offered before my oldest (around 2 at the time) would even put it to his lips. Continue to expose her to new foods... expose the same food to her often. Just put a little on her plate. When she says, "Ew, I don't want that," just say, "OK, but leave it on your plate." Eventually, she MAY try it.

That being said, there are some people in the world who are naturally picky eaters. You can try "everything" and they still won't eat a lot of things. Just do your best, continue to offer her good choices, and if she still only eats pizza and chicken nuggets, she probably won't die. =-) Eventually, she'll move on to something else. Also remember that they will not allow themselves to starve. So, if you are just determined to feed her something else (and that's fine if you do), put it in front of her, if she doesn't want it, wrap it up and put it away until she complains about being hungry. Then, pull it out again. Eventually, she will eat it. But don't feel like you have to do that, unless you are just really determined to have her eat other things.

It can be very frustrating to have a picky eater. My middle son was that way. I didn't intend for this post to be so long. Take out of it what you want. =-) Sometimes it's nice to get free advice from a professional. =-) Good luck!!

Hey A., I have a four year old that ate pb&j and oranges or cereal for a BIG chunk of her life! When she was 2 1/2 we started telling her that she had to try everything (out it in her mouth and swallow) if she didn't like it then, she wouldn't have to eat the rest. I was so tired of being a short order chef that I had to break her of the pickiness. She now eats hamburger, steak, real chicken breasts. The only way she would eat veggies for the longest time was the baby food. It's frustrating when they don't eat...Be patient she'll come around...just keep introducing new foods good luck!!

A., if you do try the "deceptively delicious" route, as many have suggested, please continue to work at introducing better foods in a way that your daughter knows what she's eating. Remember, your goal goes beyond nutrition today. You also want to create good eating habits. If she never knows that she's eating it, she's not developing the habits.

Personally, I think the best advice you've gotten is that which encourages you to allow your daughter to be hands on with the food. My daughter was a reader and a learner. She loved taking the green beans apart and counting the "baby lima beans" inside. She tried new foods when she learned something about the people who grew them (veggies) or ate them (culturally diverse foods) or made them (chefs, etc.). Go to a farm where you can pick your own blueberries or where broccoli is grown. Better yet, grow some yourself.

Both of my kids even tried chocolate covered crickets and ants(YUCK!) when they met the "Bug Guy" at our local nature center. I think one of them may have even tried the cockroach, but I'm trying to wipe that one from my memory.

Here's an idea... We used to stroll through the produce section at the grocery store and talk about what looked interesting. If we thought it was pretty, or weird, or something, we'd buy one. Sometimes we had to find out how to cook it online, but it was fun! We tried some yucky stuff, but that's where my daughter discovered kiwi for the first time -- and it's a power packed fruit! Buffets are a great place for exploration as well. Oh, and pizza can be a whole wheat pita with some hummus and veggies on it. You can make faces and maps and all sorts of pictures with it. A lot of fun to make, and great to eat.

Make food an adventure! By the way, how are you and your husband at trying new foods? Maybe if she sees you taking risks, she will be more willing!

My daughter is 18 now, and will eat anything. My son (16) will eat almost anything, but has finally realized that it is the texture of cooked veggies that he doesn't like. But he likes the raw stuff, so he's good to go.

You have gotten some great ideas! Keep trying different foods over and over. It really does take 10-15 times of exposure before they will start eating certain foods. I found this to be true with both of my boys age 6 and 3!
Also, Dr. William Sears( Pediatrician who consults with Parenting Magazine) recommends getting a muffin tin and putting different fruits and veggies in it. Like brocoli trees, carrot sticks, and grapes. Set it out in the a.m. after breakfast and when your child wants an unhealthy snack, tell her that she can snack from the muffin tin when ever she likes! It has worked very well with my boys! Another thing I would like to tell you about is something that the Dr. I work for as his assistant and Wellness Coordinator, is recommending to patients. It is called JuicePLUS+ and it comes in capsulses, chewables, and gummies. It's better than vitamins because it is whole food and our body knows what to do with it. It is 15 different fruits and vegetables and 2 whole grains. Anyway, my family eats it everyday and
whether we eat very healthy each day or slip up from time to time we know that we are getting the Nutrition of all those fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The gold standard Research that has been done on JuicePLUS+ is published in peer review medical journals and that's why Dr's are starting to recommend it to their family's, friends, and patients!
Keep trying and like others have said don't give in to the chicken nuggets and pizza! They don't have much, if any, nutritional value! If you are interested in the gummies let me know and if you would like to learn more about JuicePLUS+ visit my website at www.juiceplus.com/+ah64006 Good Luck! You can do it just stick to your guns!

I have a son who we struggle with being a picky eater. I refuse to make him his own menu each night. So we have a rule that he has to try some of everything on his plate. Foods he may honestly dislike, like spinach or brussel sprouts, he only has to have one bite of. But foods like grilled cheese or chicken, that I'm sure he'd like if he'd just allow himself to, he has to eat at least half of. If he refuses, I don't give him any other food. Later in the evening when he wants a snack, I get back out what he refused at dinner. He has gone to bed hungry a couple of times, and the next morning when he wakes up, I put the food he didn't eat in front of him again. I've only had to drag this out till breakfast a couple of times, but he does eventually eat it (and actually likes it). I had to allow him to really get hungry. Your not starving your child if they miss one meal--and they soon learn that being super picky only makes them hungry--it doesn't get them what they demand. Good luck!

I have always heard that a new food has to be introduced about 15 times before a child will eat it. Try cutting things into fun shapes or looking for brightly colored food (i.e. strawberries, carrots, peas). Also, sometimes I give food new names and that encourages them to eat. Raviolis are "spaghetti pockets". My duaghter only wanted Froot Loops for a while for breakfast so I bought the Fruity Cheerios and called them "baby Froot Loops" and since she loves babies this worked wonderfully! I even remeber my Mom calling baked beans "cowboy beans" for one of my brothers who liked cowboys at the time. My last suggestion is try serving the food on tooth picks or bar-b-que skewers to spice it up a little. I let my kids make fruit kabobs. I cut/collect up a bunch of fruit that won't go brown. I used green and purple grapes, manadrin organes (baby oranges:)), strawberries, pineapple (canned of course to avoid all the work!). I set them out divided into a cupcake tin and let my kids go to work. They loved it and ate some while they worked and then ate the kabobs! Finally it could be more of a control issue she is trying out than really not liking the food you are offering her. Pretty normal, really! Good luck. Also where in Utah did you come from? I used to live in Provo and my husband in from Murray.

All toddlers go through a picky eating phase and it will pass. The best thing you can do is keep offering her new foods to try, but keep her favorites on standby. If she likes chicken nuggets and pizza, make it yourself. You can take chicken breast and cut them up into nuggets coat them in flour, then dip them into a 1 egg and 1/4 cup of buttermilk mixture and then coat the pieces with crushed cornflakes or breadcrumbs. Then bake at 450 for 10 minutes turning half way. I make these for my son all the time and he loves them. Also you can make mini pizzas using whole wheat english muffins or even making your own pizza crusts and then making your own pizza sauce loaded with pureed or finely chopped veggies.
You need to keep setting the example though about healthy eating, let your daughter see that what you are eating is good and always offer her what you are eating first,before giving her the alternatives.

Have you tried letting her pick different food out at the store and letting her help you prepare it. My kids always loved helping "cook" the food and they always ate it because "they" fixed it. Good luck - - - hope this helps.

R.

You're right, it's time to break her of her "picky" habit before it gets out of control. Keep in mind, it may have NOTHING to do with her liking or disliking a food. Some kids just get "stuck" wanting the same thing again and again. Here's what we have done.

She's old enough to eat pretty much anything you and your husband eat. Give her small amounts of whatever you make for your dinner. She can either choose to eat it or not. Make her sit at the table until the meal is over, regardless of if or how much she eats. If she doesn't eat it, no snacks or treats.

If she doesn't finish the meal, wrap it for later. If she's hungry, she can have her dinner.

Some people only do this for dinner, others do it for all meals. It depends on how picky they are being. At times, when my kids don't eat ANY of dinner several days in a row, I'll give it to them for breakfast and lunch, etc until they eat it. Trust me, when they get hungry enough, they'll eat.

We've told our kids that they need to: 1. Be respectful to the person who made the food, and 2. Be thankful that they have food to eat, whether or not they like it.

She'll test you to see if you really mean business, so be prepared for fussing and refusal to eat. Stand your ground. It's worth it. Good luck.

There's a study (can't remember which one) that says that kids may have to be a presented a food up to 18 times before they'll try it. It feels like forever to give them something that long, and keep throwing it away, but it really has worked for our almost 2 year old. It helps if you go ahead and give them something they like, along with a new thing. Also, don't make a big deal about making them try it, just be nonchalant about it. It won't work right away, but hopefully if you keep trying, she'll eventually eat something else. Oh, and don't try to reward "good eating" with dessert. That just teaches them that the dinner food is a punishment to be endured so that the can get a dessert reward. Plus it can lead to overeating habits later in life. Good luck!

Try cooking at home instead of ordering pizza, and Mcdonalds.

I prepare one meal, and put it on the table. My children are fed what my husband and I eat. They either eat it or go hungary.

Beleive me they don't miss too many meals. She is not too young to be learning good eating habits the habits she learns now will stick with her the rest of her life.

My little girl is 2 and does the same thing. Only eats hot dogs, chicken nuggets and turkey deli meat for her meats. I have started making her try whatever I am making for my husband and I before giving her anything else. THat seems to be working good.

Feed her chicken nuggets and pizza and have fun cooking some great recipes for you and your husband. When you do let, her try a spoon full She may be going for the texture of foods. try finding some fruits she will eat

i would not worry about it if she likes it

Stop the pizza for all family members. Do not stop by for chicken nuggets. Start with sphaghetti and hopefully the sauce will encourage. Have tapioca pudding, jello, fruit(such as bananas, peaches, grapes). I made tasty sphaghetti sauce with a little sugar (little) added and kept it on hand in the refrigerator --and I would put it on green beans. I would wean my child off and not offer the sauce with every meal. Believe me if a child gets hungry enough they will eat. In the meantime if you are concerned about their intake you might want to check with the pediatrician. I am certain they have cases such as yours.

My daughter can be fairly picky, but I've tried to be consistent that she gets what everyone else is eating. She still often gets her favorite meal (peanut butter and honey), but for the most part we all eat the same thing. One thing that I've found that sometimes helps is for her to "help" me cook the meal. My daughter is 5 so that is easier, but even at 2 there are things she can do. Let her pour a few premeasured ingredients in or sprinkle cheese on top, etc. I've found that once they have a hand in making the food they are more likely to eat it.

Oh, and as others have said, you can't force them to eat. We do make our daughter eat a certain amount before getting up from the table, but if she wants dessert, she has to eat the whole plate (unless we feel we really did give her too much).