Was Your Kid a Picky Eater?

My son has been picky since he was on solids at 6 months old. He is 4.5 years old now.

We don't force or give rewards or punishments.
As he has gotten older, HE has NATURALLY expanded his palate.
Its a natural thing.

My son is healthy, grows like a weed, and so its fine.
No biggie.

He only eats until he is full. He only eats if he is hungry.
He KNOWS his body's cues.
That is how it should be.
Not eating according to emotional hang-ups or forced or by a time clock.Or eating according to MY.... preferences.

We never, 'battle' about eating or food.
We don't have junk in the house.
So the way he eats, is fine. He does not eat junk.

Your son does not eat sandwiches, but eats bagels. I don't see that as a problem. He likes bagels. Not sandwiches. He knows what he likes. And what he does not like.
I like bagels. I'm not into sandwiches unless I am craving it. I am not 'picky." I eat all sorts of foods. But everyone has preferences. Even adults.
I don't expect my entire family to eat like me or like what I like. I cook, and my family eats it. I know no matter what I cook, they will eat, or eat something from it. I know what they like or not. They eat anything pretty much, except my son. But again... my son eats. Just not as much as us or as diverse. For now.

My daughter never ate a vegetable for 4 years then we learned from "stomach aches" that she had feces backed up in her system even though she poops every day. Fortunately, she worked with me and now has veggies 2x day which she NEVER would even try before!

My son (now nine) is actually the opposite of your son. He ate almost anything when he was a toddler but now will hardly eat/try anything! His main food source is pasta without sauce, grilled cheese (just recently), chicken nuggets, fries, nutella and toast, and peanut butter sandwiches & cucumbers. That's pretty much it! He is growing just fine so I try not to worry about it too much and just keep trying to get him to try new things. The best of luck to you....I know how frustrating it is. :)

My son - now 18 - was extremely picky. As he got older and into middle school and girls, he became less picky. We have a house rule: You can be picky at home, but if you go to someone else's house for dinner, you eat what they serve. You clean your plate. You tell the host or hostess that you enjoyed their meal.
That helped with some of the picky-ness. As they get older, they go to different homes for dinner and such.
He went to summer camps and learned to eat different things. (If you are hungry, you will eat - especially if your friends are eating it!)
I tried to have at least one thing on the table that he would eat. I also had an alternate meal that he could make himself: Peanutbutter on wheat or rye with milk and no dessert.
There were many many nights he chose the alternate meal.
My son finally got over the picky stage at age 15 or so... it was a long haul, but I was not ever going to make food an issue... My daughter is a terrific eater and always has been... same house... same rules... same food.
He is off to military college in the fall - he told us the other day that he knows that he will be hungry, so whatever they put on his plate, he will just shovel in and and swallow.
Gotta love it!
Don't make food an issue...
LBC

Hi C.-

I had to add my 5 cents worth since I was even pickier than your son as a child. The only vegetable I ate willingly was potatos, preferably deep fried. I lived on breakfast cereal, bread, pasta, dairy products and meat. To this day, I don't like ketchup, mustard, pickles or olives. I didn't use mayo on sandwiches until high school. As I look back, the only fruit I ate was applesauce and apple juice. Even to this day, I've never eaten a banana because of a punishment I received as a child. Did I mention I'm also really stubborn? :)

Here's what didn't work for me- begging, pleading, threats, and punishments. For me, the big change happened when I lived on my own and was able to start cooking my own meals. My mom hated me in the kitchen because she didn't want to deal with the mess.

When I had my own children, I was scared they would be picky (and stubborn) like I was. My husband and I developed the "3 bite rule". You only had to eat 3 bites of everything on your plate. In the beginning, we didn't make issue of the size of the bites, even if it meant eating only 3 peas. Once they had their 3 bites, nothing else was said about it unless it was praising them for trying without complaining. Eventually we didn't even have to say anything. The kids will say "I had my 3 bites but I didn't like it" as they're carrying their plates to the sink.

My children are now 10 and 13. They have very sophisticated palates compared to their peers. They will try almost anything and one of their favorite foods is sushi.

I think your son is a typical toddler. At his age, they are very controlling so this is another aspect of that. They control what goes into their bodies and when it comes out (potty training). Your control comes in what foods you allow him and when. My best advice is to keep it a "non issue" and never let it escalate into a battle. Keep offering healthy snacks and limit the junk. Let him help prepare the meals when reasonable so he can see everyone enjoy his creations.

Best of luck to you.