My 5 1/2 Year Old Won't Try New Foods.

run some veggies through the food processor, some greens maybe like green beans, spinach, or broccoli....then make the cheesiest mac and cheese you've ever made and add the veggies...this is gonna sound wierd....add green food coloring and mix well and say you're having "green mac and cheese" like "green eggs and ham"....see what happens! Even wear a Dr. Suess hat to make it a fun event! Gotta get creative with these little munchkins!

Also, if she'll eat muffins of any kind, add some small bits of veggies (or even run through the food processor again). Blueberry muffins are good with a splash of carrots. te he.

I'm going to have to agree with your husband on this one, don't force her. If she thinks she doesn't like them and she is forced to eat them, she will only hate them. Keep doing what you are doing, offering them any time you make them, perhaps offer her some raw veggies with dip, or some of the sweeter ones. Yellow peppers, baby carrots, cucumbers... that's all I can think, as I'm not really into vegetables myself. But don't worry, she will eventually like at least a few vegetables.

I agree with not forcing it - just make sure lots of the fruits are available. My 2 boys also prefer fruits to veggies. She'll be fine - keep offering them, and show how much you enjoy them (I LOVE veggies & HATE fruit! ha ha) and they'll try them eventually! One other way you can put your mind at ease is make sure she's getting her daily dose of vitamins - my kids love the gummy vites - they also make vitamin gum balls (not really sure how those work though).

Here is a little trick I learned to get some veggies in foods they otherwise wouldn't get - for the grilled cheese, shred carrots, very finely and put it in the bread with the cheese while it's cooking. Not too much or anything, then if she doesn't notice, add a bit more the next time. If she likes macaroni and cheese, this can also work - I put the shredded carrots right in the water with the noodles while they cook and they've NEVER noticed it!! It blends right in!

K.,
You daughter eats wondful at this age. I am a preschool teacher and she is just fine. Usually peer presure is not a good thing, but in this case it will be. At school, she will see kids eat all different kinds of food. I have a 7 year old son, who one would think we are beating when he tries something new, gaging the whole 9 yards. We have rule in our house, that you have to taste the new food before you get up from the table. Also just keep putting the food in front of her and she will try it.

it actually sounds to me like your daughter eats about what all kids her age eat. try not to worry about it too much. your hubby is right-do not force her to eat things, just keep offering them up. cheez whiz on veggies has always been a hit in my experience (and she obviously loves cheese.) since you and your hubby have such different eating habits, i am willing to bet that she picks up on that and is trying to distinguish her own eating style also. the power of persuasion is remarkable in that way. also, kids have a way of surprising you...the same kid that won't eat foods at your house, may end up being the kid that tries everything at her friends house. atleast, that's how we were growing up. my mother swore people were talking about someone else's child when they bragged on how wonderful we were :) well, good luck!

Dear K.,

Hi, I have a daughter who also went through the "picky" stage of her likes and dislikes regarding food and quite frankly she is 19 years old now and it really hasn't change all that much other than she is extremely aware of what is healthy and what is not and practices great judgment in her choices. In the process, she has turned into quite the little chef and loves to cook with fresh vegetables, etc.

Now with that being said.......your daughter will receive the nutrients she needs for her growing body and bones, based on the list of foods that you said she likes to eat right now. One thing that our pediatrician told us is that babies and children instinctively know that they should eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full....they will not starve themselves and for the most part they definitely will not carry on bad habits and poor choices of food into the early teens, twenties, and so on if they live in an environment of good and healthy eating habits, which obviously is the case considering your concern. Our children are a product of their own environment and they will emulate you, follow your lead, and at the "end of day" it will all come out with a positive outcome.

I completely and totally understand and sympathize with your concerns, however, please just keep in mind that #1...you are doing a great job in paying close attention to nutrition......#2...your daughter will follow your lead and she will grow up and bring those lessons about eating healthy....#3... "MOM", please don't worry, because if you make a big deal about it, to her it will become a bigger deal and you don't want that. As far as her trying new foods....if you haven't already experienced this, then please know that our children go through stages of likes and dislikes regarding food. One week they like corn and the next week corn makes them want to vomit !!! So, just try to quietly watch, always voice to her the good choices, but do so in a manner that is not making her think if she is doing something wrong by not eating what you want her eat. Right now, in this moment and time in her life, the things that you mentioned are the things she loves to eat, so let her eat them, quietly introduce other foods to her along the way making it as fun as possible instead of making it sound as though she is failing you by not eating what you want her to eat.

One of the things that I passed on to my daughter that was taught to me by my parents is this............always "try" the food before saying you don't like it, because you might be surprised to find that it becomes your favorite food. And, also my parents practiced the promise that if we at least took one bite of the food and we didn't like it, they would not make us eat it.

Just keep trying in subtle ways and try not to worry so much.....your daughter is getting the amount of food that satisfies her and fills her tummy, and most important she is getting the necessary vitamins and nutrients that her body needs to grow properly.

Good Luck and don't worry.....
T.

The foods that you described, for the most part, are great sources of her daily requirement of nutrition

As everyone else says--don't force it. But here are a few tricks. Try veggies with ranch to dip in. And cooked broccoli is delicious with melted cheese on top. Also, try growing a vegetable garden with her. Kids are more likely to try vegetables if they grow them themselves. Good luck!

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one! I have a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old son. My 14-year-old is fine. He eats anything and is always willing to try new foods. My 12-year-old son is incredibly picky and eat even less of a variety that your daughter! We have to count the tomatos in ketchup as both vegetable AND fruit; otherwise, he wouldn't be getting any nutrition from fruits or vegetables. He eats cereal but not with milk (however he drinks milk separately). He hates ALL fruits and ALL vegetables (except for french fries and rice). So I guess your daughter is WAY ahead of him. We don't force him to eat. We just keep trying to get him to try new things, but if he's not willing, we just let him eat the things he likes. I was a picky eater when I was growing up, so we're hoping that eventually he'll decide to try new things and eat better. We're in the same boat as y'all are: we rarely eat together as a family, so I generally play the short-order cook. I come home from work and make everyone what they want. It's easier to do it that way than to try to force them to eat something they won't.

Anyway, good luck! I hope it all works out.

Vicky K.

K.,

I also have to agree with your husband. When I was young (the youngest, only girl with 5 older brothers) my "place" at the table was directly across from my father. I LOVED him ... but dinner time was so stressful. He CONSTANTLY commented on my "picky-ness" at the table. I didn't eat a pizza until I was 20! I believe my dad's attitude made me NOT to want to try anything. My 19 yr old son still eats green beans as if they are pills. :-) LOL I personally don't care for them either and don't MAKE him eat them ... but he wants to try. LOL When our daughter (now 9) was between the ages of 3-6 ... she would NOT eat meat ... except for Nonna's special fries and only at Nonna's house because we didn't know the secret. (My mom made her Mrs. Paul's fish sticks. LOL) I believe the less push ... the more likely to try more things.

Hope this helps.

I agree with the rest of the posts that you should not force the food, but always offer it. I have been this way with my 3 1/2 year old since he was eating food and now he has no trouble at least trying one bite. Our rule is, take a bite and if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. I can tell you that this has supplied many, many times of me catching food as it flies back out of his mouth but he eats quite a few veggies now. We make no big deal if comes back out. Just say it's ok, he doesn't have to eat it if he doesn't like it. Also, I read online that fruits have just as many vitamins and minerals as veggies. So as long as she's eating fruit she is getting good vitamins, just a little natural sugar with it. Best of luck to you, Jen

By the way, you are truly lucky that she eats so many healthy foods already! I know lots of people who have kids who won't eat more that 2 or 3 foods for weeks at a time!

One thing my sister-in-law did when her kids were young was she made stuffed shells with lots of cheese, red sauce and spinach. She hid the spinach in the cheese (parm, mozzarella and ricotta), covered it with red sauce and baked it. She cooked the noodles first on the stove and mixed the rest in a bowl while the noodles were cooking. You can mix the spinach in the cheese but have some cheese extra to cover the open ends of the shells for a more concealed look. With my son I don't tell him what it is before he trys it. I just tell him to try it once and, if he doesn't like it he doesn't have to eat it. He sometimes will gag if he really has it in his mind that he doesn't like something. If she likes fries, try a baked potato. Put the extras on the side for her to decorate as she wishes (like butter, sour cream, and cheese). Try fried sweet potato sticks like french fries. If she likes those then go to a baked sweet potato. Carrots baked with brown sugar and honey are good because it becomes a caramel on the carrots. Corn and corn nuggets are good or corn on the cob because it's fun to eat. Chinese food (not stir fry) Mexican with rice and beans. You can also get her to help you in the kitchen. By doing this you teach her how to cook and get her to taste the food she is cooking to make sure it doesn't need more seasoning. Good luck with her! Picky children are never fun at the dinner table. My husband and I were both the same way. My husband's family actually ate spaghetti for two weeks straight because my husband would actually eat it. He had to have his pb&j sandwiches made a certain way or he wouldn't eat it. He always knew when it was made wrong. There will be some foods she will never like. I still won't eat carrots but cooked with the brown sugar and honey, my son will. I wish you the best. :-)

K.,
By the foods you listed, your daughter eats pretty well and I know she eats better than some. As for veggies, try giving them to her raw (carrots, zuchini, broc. cauliflower etc..). My daughter hates zucchini cooked but likes it raw. As for other vegetables, try cooking them differently to add more flavor. Add a little cheese or butter to them. Tell her that she needs to take one or two bites and if she doesn't like it then she doesn't have to eat it. If she keeps insisting she doesn't like a particular food, than more than likely she doesn't. Good Luck!

J.

I read your list and thought what a lucky woman you were. My daughter (who is now 28 and eats practically everything and continues to try new things) existed on a diet of basically macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes (no gravy). Getting meat down her was painful. She would chew on a piece of meat forever and finally spit out any remains. She would occasionally eat chicken nuggets, but veggies and most fruit were never approached. I agonized also, but she has grown up fine and healthy and now will try to eat lots of new things. It took a long time though. If you can keep the junk food to a minimum, it sounds to me like she has lots of healthy things in her diet. The other things will come with time. Often peer pressure is the best motivator (or in the case of my girls, boyfriends). They'll try new things for a boy that they wouldn't try for their dad or I. Keep your head up, it will get better.

Honey, you should thank the Lord she eats all the different foods that she does, especially the fruits. We have a 5 year old grandson who won't eat anything but chicken strips, hamburgers, pizza, grapes, french fries, and Ramen noodles. His daddy makes him try veges, but he does the gagging thing. He also will not take medicine; we have to make suppositories to give him fever meds. I wouldn't worry about your daughter.

My son was the same way. What worked for me was a gave me like a teaspoon of a kid friendly veggie like corn, peas and carrots, if he ate just that little he could have a little extra with his dessert. Like one extra cookie or a hershey kiss he loved those. I didn't like promoting extra deserts but as time went on the portions got bigger and by six and a half years if he didn't eat his veggies he got no snack. Hope this helps, can't hurt to try. Have a great getaway!!