Picky Eaters

I don’t know quite how we arrived at this point. I’ve been growing my own herbs and vegetables since we lived in Oklahoma (okra, anyone?). I’ve been a farmer’s market fanatic, well, ever since they did become trendy and more plentiful. Larry’s Produce is a dream of fresh and local, peaches, grapes, tomatoes, green beans; you name it, they have it. I bring the kids with me and we pick out fruits and veggies together and they actually love it.  My husband is an excellent cook, especially with pasta and middle eastern dishes.  We eat well and we enjoy food.


Or rather, we did.


I think my husband and I are both to blame. Some combination of our genes inspired a picky, picky, finicky little eater...times two.  Somehow our toddler morphed from a lover of gourmet chicken sausages, homemade carrot, zucchini and turkey meatballs, kiwi fruit, and spinach pizza with whole grain crust to “what do you mean you don’t like hot dogs?...you don’t like grilled cheese?...you don’t like MILK?” The only vegetables (other than peas) I can get in him are disguised in smoothies or “snacky snacks." There was a time when he didn't even like smoothies! Okay, okay, I may have gotten a little zealous with the kale, which caused major suspicion with all blended drinks for months.

One of our favorite "snacky snacks." I guess I should consider myself lucky that this is a highly coveted treat in our house...I know it's good for them, but it's still not real food.

Yep. I have tried everything...hiding veggies, dipping veggies, growing veggies, involving the kids in cooking and grocery shopping, planning one family meal no exceptions, bribery, towing the hard line, and then finally throwing my hands up in the air and adding Cheerios to every meal.


In my desperation, I did a lot of Internet research. Searching for the perfect kid friendly yet parent pleasing recipes. Sorry, but my toddler isn’t fooled by a skewer of grilled vegetables just because it’s on a skewer.  He doesn’t even like regular macaroni and cheese, so butternut squash mac and cheese is definitely out of the question. Actually, he doesn't like cheese. Most of what I found online was actually not helpful. Reading Bringing up Bebe was also not helpful as we are just not French enough.  But as I was feeding Amelia her banana Stonyfield Yo Baby yogurt (the only one she doesn’t gag on), I found the following website on the back of the carton and was intrigued:


www.stonyfield.com/products/yobaby-yokids/feeding-advice-dr-sears/picky-eaters-guide


Check it out if you have a picky eater. It’s from Dr. Sears and isn’t going to make you feel like a bad parent because you can’t get your kid to eat broccoli. The 20 pieces of advice are pretty similar to what you’ll see elsewhere, but the way the advice is offered is less preachy and more understanding. The best advice: #19. Count on inconsistency and #20. Relax.


Oh. Relax, eh? Hmmm. Okay then.

My new approach is now the following: something familiar, something new, something difficult, everything relatively healthy.  There’s still fussing and it’s still frustrating, but I can’t blame them entirely. If my memory serves me correctly, I was a pretty frustrating eater myself as a child (no pasta sauce, no pizza, no soda- a very good thing, of course, etc.) and although I was a pain at birthday parties, I turned out just fine and healthy.

It's not kale, but I'll take it.

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly…so much to say about this post, yet so little time. We have some very picky eaters here on the East Coast too. I would say this is my biggest parenting challenge so far. Which I suppose is very lucky, and I should be counting my blessings-which I am-but it is INCREDIBLY frustrating to make a meal, and nobody eats it. Worse: it ends up on the floor. So, I am always seeking out advice on this topic, and hearing what works for others. That link is great! Definitely some interesting insight on the mind of a toddler.

Over the last 6 years, I’ve had at least 1 if not 2 picky eaters in my house at any given time. When Chad started eating solids, he ate everything under the sun. Charlotte was basically sustained on fruit and mac and cheese. Then suddenly she’s been venturing out and eating more things, meanwhile I can’t get him to eat a bite of mac and cheese if my life depended on it. Or even plain pasta. Who doesn’t like pasta?! (I’m Italian, which makes him part Italian, so this is boggling to me. Pasta and sauce should be running through his veins) Now, at 6, Charlotte is eating escargot. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but I did hear these words uttered out of her mouth recently: “Mom, can I have some more of that amazing Shepherd’s pie?” I’m not sure if it’s her age, the fact that she’s exposed to new foods at school, or her palate is changing, but she’s crossed over the picky eater threshold, and I’m thankful. I’m hoping (praying) Chad will follow suit.

The best advice I got was from my pediatrician: Dinner is dinner, and if he doesn’t eat it, he doesn’t eat. He won’t starve to death going to bed without dinner. The theory being this is the age (18-24months-ish) they start to manipulate, and if we constantly give in, pretty soon their diet starts to look, well, "beige." It seemed a little extreme to me at first, but you know what? I practice it. I know it's not for everyone. And yes, at first I did feel like the MEANEST MOM EVER. But she was right. He didn’t starve to death. And I really think he’s catching on. Now, I always put one thing on his plate that I know he’ll eat; yogurt, cheese stick, fruit, etc. But the rest is filled up with what we’re having for dinner. Sometimes he eats it, sometimes he doesn’t. And if he doesn’t; no separate dinner for him, and definitely no dessert. There are great days: “More peppers! More peppers!” (Insert me jumping up and down and clapping) And there are bad days, when Pete (the dog) eats an entire meal off the floor. Because it was thrown there. But I’m ok with the inconsistencies.

Before

Tonight's dinner. Not one of my best meals, but dinner nonetheless. I knew the blueberries would go. The sandwich had a 50/50 chance.  Everything else was a wildcard.

After

I was pleasantly surprised to see the corn had a few bites out of it. Carrots got a quick nibble. The tomatoes are on the floor. Not even Pete is eating those.

And Kel, I don’t remember you being particularly picky, but I do remember thinking it was SO WEIRD that you didn’t like soda. Now, I shake my head when I see kids drinking it. See how ahead of the curve you really were?!