Are your kids fussy eaters?
By winterose
@winterose (39887)
Canada
March 24, 2008 12:23am CST
When my son was a child there was nothing I could do to get him to eat vegetables. I would eat corn, peas, or raw carrots but I could not get him to eat anything else.
For lunch he would only eat hotdogs (the dog only no bun) with ketchup, or he would throw everything out.
one time when he was six, I figured if I could get him to at least try a bite of vegetable if would acquire the taste.
We ended up having a battle of wills at the dinner table, I wanted him to try just a piece of mushroom, he flatly refused.
he told him he would not get dessert, he didn't care,
I told him no tv he didn't care,
I threatened to spank him, he didn't care,
I sent him off to bed at 6:pm he still didn't care, he told me he was not eating anything he did not like.
He had never tried it.
A week later it was meet the teacher night and all the children drew pictures,
and the teacher put a caption under each picture, something the kids said about their picture.
the kids said things like I love my daddy,
or have a nice day,
under my son's picture was " I hate mushrooms"
I felt so bad after that and never tried to get him to eat his vegetables again.
NOw we all know from countless studies that children that eat a proper diet with more fruits and vegetables and less carbs do better in school, the schools have the scores to prove it,
so how do you are did you get your children to eat vegetables?
or other foods that were essential to their good health?
5 people like this
13 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
24 Mar 08
My grand daughter (just like her mom at same age!) is picky and has learned to order her own meal at a resturant and tell the waitress what she does or doesnt' want on a burger or whatever she orders. Not sure if mom told her she had to do that or eat it as is comes in an attempt to get her to eat more things, but she spouts off front and center when the waitress gets there with her personalized order and she is the cutest thing - long blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a smile that melts anyone that looks at her - so the waitress gives her what she askes for! She'll eat things for me that she doesn't for mom or dad (a divorce there so she has 3 places to eat!) and I never have a problem with it. Don't know why that is, but she does it. Granted I am just on the corn, carrots and ketchup so far but we are getting htere! it used to be nothing but hamburger meat, now she'll eat beef, for me - London Broil or rump roast cut in bite size pieces. She wont' eat that for the others! Weired, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
25 Mar 08
yep that is what I tried to do get him to eat a bit at a time.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
25 Mar 08
Something else I did for different reason...she loves chicken nuggets. No "other"style of chicken, just nuggets. Well, fast food nuggest aren't that healthy as we all know. McDonalds are made partially of fish parts! So to try to get her to eat other meats, we told her that...thinking she'd order something else. No, she doesnt order them at Mc Dee's! Burger Kings is supposed to be the healthiset.
So, I started making nuggets from scratch at home for her. Buy boneless skinless chicken bre*st meat when it is on sale for $1.99 a lb, cut it in about 2-bite size pieces and dredge and deep fry. She loves them.
She also loves dolphins. I used to play with her on certin occassions when I wanted her to eat more, and let her pretend to be a dolphin, and the "dolphin" had to come get food from the trainer or jump in the air to grab the food - that little girl ate twice what I was trying to get her to eat! As long as the dolphin could eat it, she'd eat it all! PUt it on a plate for her and she'd pick around at it. So... I don't care "who" is eating it, just as long as it gets in her belly. I even called it "squid" because dolphins eat squid. That was a game we played for a month or so and then she kind of got bored (or maybe just outgrew) it and now eats them all the time on her own.
From there, all of a sudden one day I was making it and asked her -just asking, not expecting an answer, but i always like to include her in everything, let her make some choices, learn anyway I can teach her... I told her I had to go make squid for the dolphins lunch to day. I had it all set out, the strips of chicken, the bowls of flour, egg and bread crumbs and I asked her if she wanted to help make the squid! YES! she shouts! This kid that doesnt' even like to get her hands dirty, jumped at the chance to touch raw meat!!! Threw me for a loop, but I grabbed it and showed her the sequence and then let her have at it! She was thrilled! She thought she was the trainer now and getting lunch ready for her dolphins! She did about 2 dozen and then I fried them and she ate at least half!
Point being, try to make a game out of it. If it works, great, if not, well try something else, but at least you have to try anything you can think of. And my daughter thought it was nuts of me to go through all this and let her play with her food, but I said, "well, she is not only eating it, but she is learning how to cook and touch raw meat, something kids don't like to do and get an instant "eeeuuuwww, gross" response if they ever see it and then won't eat it. She won't think that. I got her to eat, and you couldn't - where's the problem" Long as it goes into her belly, who cares how it gets there!"
@madlees (1377)
• India
24 Mar 08
Dear winterose,
Kids are kids. If they don't want to eat some thing they just refuse and if you compel it just stays in their mind. I have always tried to give one vegetable a day mixed with the food without telling them what it was. Let them try it out.
Once I had made Chowchow vegetables , I chopped them into small pieces like cabbage and made a side dish. If I had told them that it was chow chow they would not have had it. They thought it was cabbage and ate it. They liked it.Likewise raw papaya also I have made my kids eat. Just tease them, make it in the mode in which they like. Do not compel. Just put it on the table. They will taste it. Don't keep watching the vegetable if they are eating it. You'll succeed. Just don't tell them what it is till they finish eating. All the best
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
24 Mar 08
he is not a child anymore, he is a grown man now, and I couldn't fool him when he was little he knew it always when I did
1 person likes this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
24 Mar 08
When my daughter was younger, she would not eat cooked vegetables. She would eat all kinds of raw vegetables though. All she really wanted to eat was chicken nuggets all of the time. she really did not want anything else. She is still a very picky eater but she had lost alot of weight recently that she had gained over the summer. she is down to 135 and looks very nice. I am so happy she can maintain her weight. It makes me want to be a picky eater also but I am always feeding my nerves.
2 people like this
@jeanniemay (1798)
• Philippines
24 Mar 08
Other foods? I'm still educating myself on that. 
Ohh, well, I don't have kids but I'm their fan. I like kids rolling and crying me fooling them around. Fussy eaters? Yes, so much, they are. If they come to my place on weekends, it's a little good for me. Their parents really can't get over them. They love an irritable one like me playing around with them. What their parents ask them to have for lunch or dinner would not be ever in their interest. what i usually do, is play along and when they have been a little hooked with it, I will try to give some conditions that it will only continue if they eat what was served on the table. haha! I'm quite naughty on them and chuckle at their back when they are agreeing with me.
Ohh, well, I don't have kids but I'm their fan. I like kids rolling and crying me fooling them around. Fussy eaters? Yes, so much, they are. If they come to my place on weekends, it's a little good for me. Their parents really can't get over them. They love an irritable one like me playing around with them. What their parents ask them to have for lunch or dinner would not be ever in their interest. what i usually do, is play along and when they have been a little hooked with it, I will try to give some conditions that it will only continue if they eat what was served on the table. haha! I'm quite naughty on them and chuckle at their back when they are agreeing with me. 
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
26 Mar 08
Actually it is a little trick I use I cut them up really small in her favorite foods and she can't really tell the difference but I can't get her to eat it if she knows it is in there. She won't eat vegetable only in spaghetti sauce then I chop the mushrooms and bell peppers up finely and add finely shredded carrots and it all cooks together and she loves it. This can be done in meat loaves also and hamburgers. Because my sister is really picky the only vegetables I think she does eat willingly is cucumbers and mashed potatoes, french fries,Augratin potatoes sometimes we will put in a can of mixed veggies but add extra cheese and she will eat only sometimes.Other times she will downright refuse. Kids! but you gotta love them. But to make them healthy they can be oven baked.
1 person likes this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
25 Mar 08
I was lucky—my daughter loved vegetables when she was growing up. I gave her a lot of veggy baby food in jars when she was a little tot—I think that is what gets their taste buds used to the taste of vegetables.
The story is cute--- about him writing I hate mushrooms.. lol… I guess he really hated them without ever trying them!
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
26 Mar 08
my son had all his veggie baby food he liked it to an extend it was when he had to eat the real thing not the processed baby food that the troubles started.
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Oh yes, those little buttons called mushrooms. I love them, both my kids hate them. Not only is my son a picky eater, he eats in spurts. Although, he is finally eating a lot of fruit and now he loves to eat a good salad. I think I tricked him when I added a salad to his plate of Cheese & Mac (his favorite food). Funny thing that you've got me thinking about. Ever since he's been eating fruit and a good breakfast he's been doing better in school. It's all good and true.
2 people like this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
25 Mar 08
I would hide the veggies in food...he ate mashed potatoes, I mashed in cauliflower. He like sloppy joes - I slipped in carrots and red peppers. I had to hide them.
If I made burgers, I would use the food processor and mix in small amounts of veggies. When I made powdered drinks - they were made with 1/2 juice and 1/2 water. Grape juice was a great place to hide prune juice, as were brownies - my son was always constipated as a little one.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
26 Mar 08
I tried that several times and he always knew the difference and he wouldn't eat it, it got to the point that he watched me when I cooked to make sure I didn't try to sneak something in it.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
24 Mar 08
Hihi,
I think it is quite inevitable that kids don't like healthy food. Somehow, unhealthy food usually tastes better to most.
It is only when they grow up would they realize the importance of eating healthy.
That's when they will change. Only when they themselves want to change would the impetus be greater.
@moneyandgc (3428)
• United States
24 Mar 08
Three of my 4 children will eat fruits and vegetables. My third child (almost 7)hates most fruits and veggies. She won't even eat corn. We tried to get her to eat corn and she actually threw it up.
She still tries to eat little bites of foods...but not corn! She will eat more fruits now, so that is good.
My oldest son (10 years old) will try and eat anything that is put on his plate, even if he doesn't like it. He has a very sensitive stomach and gag reflex. He once tried to eat spinach that his step-mom put on his plate...she quickly had a big mess to clean up! Now if he tries something and doesn't like it, we remove it from his plate right away!! 
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
24 Mar 08
This made me laugh, he was a very determined boy! I must admit I used to be the same with my eldest who is now 16 and would do very much the same things as you. Mealtimes became battlegrounds with both of us being miserable and moody all because I wanted him to eat things that were considered good for him! Over the years as my other 3 children came along I have learnt to be a little more tactful and considerate and have changed my ways a lot and I do now succeed in getting them to try and eat new and healthy foods. I just ask them very nicely to try it, if they wont, I tell them very nicely to try it, just one bite I say and if you do not like it I promise I will never make it again! This does work with them and everything I have given them, they have tried and true to my word if they do not like it I do not give it them again, well not for a few weeks anyway, but if they do like it, then I add it to the menu!
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
25 Mar 08
but the thing is my son would not try it, all I asked him to do was try one bite of mushroom, if he didn't like it he didn't have to eat anymore, but the answer was a flat no, he is 31 years old now eats mushrooms but still very stubborn in personality
