Your Thoughts on Picky Eaters

[Bookworm]

i had a discussion with some of my coworkers about picky eaters and the reasons they are picky. We left out children with food allergies and sensory issues. Our opinions are:-they aren't exposed to a wide variety of food and parents cooking separate meals when the child won't eat what's been cooked because they "have to eat something". I would like to know your thoughts/opinions about this. My center has always had picky eaters but we've seen a serious increase over the past year. Our menu is kid friendly but based on food guidelines so that may also be an issue. Your thoughts?
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[midaycare]

My thoughts: eat or go hungry.

That's how I handle things here, but I see parents giving in to their kids and fixing them different foods, eating out too often, and not incorporating new foods when they are young.

[NoMoreJuice!]

Their parents don't believe they can possibly make it to the next meal without dying of starvation, so they cave and make a pbj or whatever the child wants. I've seen a ton of that.

Many of my kids won't touch our healthy options at snack because they tell me Mom has a candy bar for them in the car at pick up. I've completely quit caring. They either eat, or they're hungry. I always tell parents I've NEVER had a child in my care come close to dying from starvation.

[Bookworm]

Their parents don't believe they can possibly make it to the next meal without dying of starvation, so they cave and make a pbj or whatever the child wants. I've seen a ton of that.

Many of my kids won't touch our healthy options at snack because they tell me Mom has a candy bar for them in the car at pick up. I've completely quit caring. They either eat, or they're hungry. I always tell parents I've NEVER had a child in my care come close to dying from starvation.

I'm in total agreement with you. We didn't even consider frequent dining out as a factor. Another question is does the parent start it off by not retrying a fruit or vegetable if their infant makes a face when they first tried it. I have a toddler in my room who only eats at DC peas, potatoes, and junk food. On a different note, theres a 5yr old whose parents thought that any reaction to any food that she's eaten since starting solids, was a major food allergy. They would research that particular allergy until they found what they wanted to see and removed it from her diet. At no time has DCG been tested for allergies. They started bringing her lunch daily. It consisted of a random mix up of three of the following: jelly sandwich, chicken tender, carrots, pancakes, turkey sausage,grapes, watermelon, and an applesauce pack. After 4 yrs, they finally got tired of doing it and asked for DCG getting school lunch. She never eats lunch and snack is iffy. Now her parents are mad because she won't eat anything. They are the reason we started the discussion.

[midaycare]

My DS is an honest to goodness picky eater. He refuses meat. Always has. And fish, and eggs. Always has. No matter how many times I tried. I'm still trying and he's 8! I think it's a texture thing, but who knows?

I use to chop up meat or eggs into tiny, tiny pieces and hide it in foods when he was young. He would promptly get the offending piece in his mouth, make a face, and remove the small piece of whatever it was.

He does eat fruits and veggies but his main foods are spaghetti, homemade pizza, pb&j, and grilled cheese. I've found healthy ways to do all of those, but there are actual picky eaters. I'm very stubborn about trying foods. DS won after 6 years. But the majority of his food has to be fruits and veggies now.

[Thriftylady]

I am in the eat or go hungry crowd. A big part of the reason these kids won't eat, is because a second meal is made (or the first one is made to cater to what they want to eat). I don't know where or how, but parents have changed so much and now kids seem to be running the show. I grew up on eat or go hungry and guess what? I'm still alive!

ETA: Hardly any of the picky eaters I have seen will eat fruits and veggies. Most of them want processed junk. Chicken nuggets, french fries, eggo waffles, etc. If they were picky to eating healthy foods, I may be able to bring myself to cater to it more.

[Indoorvoice]

I think too that parents these days need easy or prefer easy. They don't want to deal with making their kids unhappy over food when it's easy to just fix them something they want. It's hard to plan meals every night that have enough components to not only introduce a new food, but have a few favorites as well so no one goes hungry. Also no one sits down for meals together, so there is no help or support with food tantrums and parents just give in. Parents also have these irrational fears over foods and think if their kids don't eat a meal or 2 that something terrible will happen. In fact, kids know much better than we do how much they need to eat as long as we offer a variety of choices. I found the Division of Responsibility by Ellyn Satter and it changed my whole thinking about food around and helped my picky eater. I practice it with my daycare kids and parents are amazed what they gobble down at my house, but would never touch at their house.

[midaycare]

I'm in my late thirties and I just for the first time tried Brussel sprouts 2 weeks ago. It's my new favorite food! I was never offered it as a child and never tried it.

Growing up I always thought rice looked and smelled gross - I never was forced to eat it. I had it for the first time at 28. Oh my word! Love!

[Bookworm]

I'm in my late thirties and I just for the first time tried Brussel sprouts 2 weeks ago. It's my new favorite food! I was never offered it as a child and never tried it.

Growing up I always thought rice looked and smelled gross - I never was forced to eat it. I had it for the first time at 28. Oh my word! Love!

It's funny that you said that. Brussels sprouts and rice are on my list of foods I could eat almost everyday. What we've noticed that kids are even refusing nuggets, Mac and cheese, fish sticks etc. You know, kiddie food.

[midaycare]

It's funny that you said that. Brussels sprouts and rice are on my list of foods I could eat almost everyday. What we've noticed that kids are even refusing nuggets, Mac and cheese, fish sticks etc. You know, kiddie food.

Would you ease, please message me a recipe or two for Brussel sprouts? You are the only other person I've talked to that likes them.

[Thriftylady]

We eat tons of rice white and brown. But I am not even allowed to cook brussel sprouts because DH can't stand the smell. I don't even remember if I like them or not.

[Baby Beluga]

While I do think there are legitimate food issue such as texture aversions and food allergies - I am in the eat or go hungry crowd too.

I think there are quite a few factors in play for picky eaters.

1) Parents don't continually offer foods their kids do not initially like. I believe it can take up to 20 times for a child to eat and acquire the taste for a food.

2) Fast food

3) Constant snacking. It is okay to feel hungry. PM snack for the DC is at 3:00pm. My family doesn't eat dinner until 6 and generally around 4:30 my DD is ravished. She gets veggies as a snack. You are hungry? Okay, dinner is at 6. Here is a veggie platter you can eat. 95% of the time she happily eats the veggies, then will help me make dinner and gobble that up.

4) Parents either don't know or don't understand that taste buds change! They change on their own, but also need to be trained. Sugar and the way your brain responds to eating sugar also has a play in this.

5) Not involving children in food selection, food prep and food education.

[sahm1225]

Would you ease, please message me a recipe or two for Brussel sprouts? You are the only other person I've talked to that likes them.

Microwave them until they are a little soft. Then sautéed them in a little bit of Olive oil until they start to caramelize. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Enjoy!!

[Bookworm]

Would you ease, please message me a recipe or two for Brussel sprouts? You are the only other person I've talked to that likes them.

Go to Foodnetwork.com and search for Brussel Sprouts Lardons by the Barefoot Contessa

[Bookworm]

While I do think there are legitimate food issue such as texture aversions and food allergies - I am in the eat or go hungry crowd too.

I think there are quite a few factors in play for picky eaters.

1) Parents don't continually offer foods their kids do not initially like. I believe it can take up to 20 times for a child to eat and acquire the taste for a food.

2) Fast food

3) Constant snacking. It is okay to feel hungry. PM snack for the DC is at 3:00pm. My family doesn't eat dinner until 6 and generally around 4:30 my DD is ravished. She gets veggies as a snack. You are hungry? Okay, dinner is at 6. Here is a veggie platter you can eat. 95% of the time she happily eats the veggies, then will help me make dinner and gobble that up.

4) Parents either don't know or don't understand that taste buds change! They change on their own, but also need to be trained. Sugar and the way your brain responds to eating sugar also has a play in this.

5) Not involving children in food selection, food prep and food education.

This is spot on. Especially #1 and #2. It's so much easier to give in.