Help for Picky Eaters:  Advice from Moms

My kids would not touch their carrots if I put it on their plates. Then, we introduced carrot appetizers, and for some reason, they got all excited. It increases their appetite and provides them with a great vegetable, and they LOVE it! -- Angie from GA

My boys love to eat ice cream. I put it in a bowl and always add fruit. Their favorites are strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. Its a good way to get an extra serving of fruit in their diet. -- Janine from WI

When my boys were very small and beginning to exercise their independence about food choices I offered them some Tapioca. "No way", was their response (although they didn't have a clue as to what it was). It just didn't sound good to them. Later in the day I offered them some "Bubble Pudding" and they couldn't get to the table fast enough. I served it up in some ice cream cones and they enjoyed the entire treat. Pork n beans (which we always ate when camping) didn't appeal to them at all but, "camping beans" always brought a favorable response. I found that by simply changing the names of foods that sounded more appealing to little ones put a stop to finicky eating. -- Renee from MO

My kids don't like meats (chicken, pork) or raw vegetables too much, but if I add a bit of Light Ranch to their plate...they dip away until it's gone! For a cool healthier treat, I freeze Go-gurts (yogurt tubes)...the kids have the satisfaction of having an "ice cream" treat and I feel better about the nutrition value. -- Kelly from MI

The easiest way I've found to get any kid to eat vegetables is to melt a little shredded cheese on top of it. They love it! -- Stephanie from MT

I am a headstart cook so I know all the tricks to try to get kids to eat veggies. When we have raw broccoli, we pretend we are dinosaurs and the broccoli are trees and the kids gobble them up. I also make a dip out of plain yogurt, creamy Italian dressing and reg. Italian dressing (all low fat of course). The kids love it. I find kids eat raw veggies better then the cooked ones. -- Stacy from ME

One thing my daughter loves is frozen peas right out of the freezer. We have done it since she started teething. I thought it was better than popsicles. Well now at 4 1/2 she still thinks it is a treat. She has even passed up ice cream once in a while. She still does not know they are "good for her.” -- CJ from CA

My toddler will not eat green vegetables, so I try to sneak them in however I can. Two products I highly recommend are "Green Machine" juice by Odwalla, and Snap Pea Crisps. Both contain some really healthy ingredients, and the added veggies don't hurt. -- Carrie from AZ

I put ground flaxseed, wheat germ & Egglands Best eggs (high in Omega 3's and vitamin E) in homemade waffles for an extra kick of fiber, taste and nutrition. My three year old loves them and doesn't even taste the difference! -- Sue from WA

When my oldest (19) was little he would not eat veggies for anything! We have and always had a huge garden. This child would plant ,work ,the garden but would not eat ANYTHING that came from it. He loved muffins though so I would puree any and every vegetable and put them in whatever muffin I happen to be making. You do have to be creative spinach and green veggies go better in, blueberry muffins. Yellow and orange vegetables go better in corn muffins.-- Evelyn from FL

Rule number 1: you must be a good example at the table. Parents need to eat the "good stuff," too! Rule number 2: continue to offer veggies to your kids, and most will eventually come around. Rule number 3: make it taste good and provide variety. We eat salads at almost every evening meal, and I don't make the same thing two days in a row. Start with a basic fresh green that's good for you (no iceberg lettuce), then add about three items to the salad (i.e. beans, nuts, seeds, other veggies, cheeses, chopped herbs, etc.). Be creative, but keep it simple for you and tasty for them. Make your own dressing (very cheap!) by using olive oil and various vinegars (using a 1 to 2 ratio). My 7, 5, and almost 3 year olds ask for seconds of salads all the time, and we have to say to them, "Eat some more of your xxx first, and then you can have some." Too funny! -- Kit from CA

One day a child in my child care said he didn't think he wanted to eat his green beans that day. He asked what would happen if he didn't eat them. I let him know that he didn't have to eat the beans, but I might be a little disappointed if he didn't. Sure enough, the child ate all the green beans and was quite proud of himself when he was finished. It gave me a nice feeling to see this child behaving in a respectful manner. -- Sarah from MN

I let her "play" with her food - put olives on her fingers and eat them off one at a time, etc. We dip "Banana pennies" (sliced up bananas) in Rice Krispies and Cheerios. I also use Winnie the Pooh cookie cutters to cut up her sandwiches into fun shapes. -- Caroline from CA

My best advice is to be a good example! eat healthy in front of your Kids! If you MUST snack on junk foods, do it AFTER they have gone to bed! -- Christine from MA

Everything is better with cheese on it! My sons 3 and 5, would never eat their vegetables. One night we were having broccoli (ew!) and I heated up a can of cheddar cheese soup with only half a can of milk added to it. I gave them each a small bowl of the cheese sauce and they loved dipping their broccoli in it! Since then, they love it with any steamed vegetable. The amount they actually eat is not that much and the vegetables go down the hatch! -- Glenda from IL

My kids like to eat peas straight from the freezer as a snack. Whether at mealtime or snack time, a veggie is still a veggie! -- Laurie from KS

My 15 mo. old daughter will not eat vegetables -- she just throws them on the floor (her twin brothers both scarfed them down by the cupful when they were babies!). After the doctor said that we have to find a creative way to get them to her I tried to take any bag mixture of veggies thaw and blend them in the food processor and add either a 1/4 cup of pre-made Alfredo or Pesto sauce. I mix it with Pasta (which she loves) and she eats tons of it! -- Angie from MN

To get my son to eat his veggies... Well, he just loves the Veggie Tales movies, he is obsessed with them. Cute vegetable characters that are very humorous to watch. So when we are eating our dinner we pretend that we are eating "Bob the Tomato", "Larry, the Cucumber", "Laura the Carrot", "Archibald Asparagus" and other colorful veggies. He loves it and just eats them up! It's worked since he was two, he is now four and loves to eat them. -- Sarah from AZ

Our 4 year old boy sometimes doesn't want to try something if it looks a little strange. We have a "one bite" rule. He must take one bite, just to try it, then if he really doesn't like it he doesn't have to eat any more. Luckily, he's not a really picky eater and usually loves it after he tries it. We also don't make something special just for him. We all eat the same thing, if you don't like what's for dinner, you don't have to eat it, but you don't get anything else until breakfast! Sounds harsh, works great in our house! -- Jennifer from OR

My son loves Dr. Seuss books especially Green Eggs and Ham, the book where Sam gets the other guy to try green eggs and ham, and he finds out he likes it. So when it comes to a new food all I have to say is "Green Eggs and Ham", but it can backfire on you, I abhor ketchup, but at least once a month my son will say "green eggs and ham" so I have to choke down a bite of it. -- Tracy from NC

One trick I learned with my very picky, small-appetited daughter is this: to get her to eat more than she 'wanted': instead of telling her to eat 2 more bites, I would ask her to tell ME how many bites she could eat. She always came up with a number 3-4 higher than the one I would have insisted on, and wonder of wonders, she would actually eat that many! (And no tears or fears, either!) -- Connie from KS

To get my daughter's calcium intake up and to also fill her up when she is being fussy, I started making her yogurt shakes. I use the whole milk yogurt, put it in a large sippy cup, put about the same amount of whole milk and shake. She loves it and I don't feel so bad when she will only drink that and is not in the mood to eat. -- Jessica from PA

I've found the best way to get kids to try new foods is to let them help prepare it. Most kids can take some part in cooking a meal--washing vegetables, stirring a batter, cracking an egg, etc. They can't help but be curious once in a while about what they helped make for dinner. Also, usually once a kid finds out that an ingredient has been used in one of their favorite foods, it's not so hard to get them to try it next time. Muffins are great for using variations--carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, cheese--look online, you can find just about any kind of muffin recipe. -- Marla from VA

I let my son choose a new food to try when we go grocery shopping. It's fun for him and helps him feel in control of his food choices. I also don't pressure him to try new foods, but we talk about healthy choices. Keep offering new foods. -- Jenni from MN

Well, my 23-month-old son is on a huge Teletubby kick, so any way I can make the food look like either Tubby Toast or Tubby Custard will usually get him to eat it! If I can possibly cut it round with a cookie cutter and draw a face on it (with jelly, yogurt, salad dressing, whatever works) or make it pink (like pink mashed potatoes) and tell him it's Tubby Toast or Tubby Custard, he gets all excited and there it goes! -- Melany from NV

I was given a food chopper for Christmas and I never used it until my toddler stopped eating vegetables. Now I use it to chop broccoli florets, cauliflower, carrots or other veggies into miniscule pieces. I mix the chopped veggies, along with ground flax seed, into things like pasta, rice, casseroles, meatloaf, etc. and he doesn't even notice. -- Julie from OH

My daughter adores her father. If I can get him to sit beside her and munch a veggie or a piece of fruit she usually will to. She is so busy mimicking daddy that she just eats whatever he does. However, sometimes I have problems getting him to eat healthy. -- Heather from WV

My children have always eaten tons of veggies. However, my son eats a lot of greens while my daughter only eats roots! They never agreed on veggies until I let them cook or prepare them for each other! My son made carrots so he would like them and my daughter tried an old fave a new way! My daughter prepared a salad with spring mix, fresh berries, and a balsamic dressing and my son ate a totally different kind of salad! This was also great for easing sibling tensions... when they make each other's favorite foods, it gives them whole new venues of conversation to explore! -- Mardi from SC

I have a 2 year old who could starve a bird with her diet. I have found a couple of ways to get some nutrition into her by making my own chicken nuggets. Whenever I make chicken for dinner I set aside one piece and cut it up into bite size pieces then dredge them in shake and bake and pop them into the oven or toaster oven. I "hide" her carrots by buying a can of pure, not from concentrate, carrot juice (Which by the way is LOADED with vitamins!) and I mix it with 100% apple juice. I use a 1:3 formula of carrot juice to apple juice. And when she just won't drink milk I find a reason to "treat" her with some chocolate milk made with Ovaltine in the orange label, it has a lot of vitamins in it. We also mix her sugary cereals with healthy ones like 1/4 to 1/2 Fruity Pebbles with regular Rice Krispies. The trick is to buy cereals that look like they go together and mix them into a storage container after they go to bed or when they're not around. -- Cindy from GA

Are your kids usually starving while you make dinner? Most Moms won't let their kids eat before dinner. I will. I set out a plate of pre-dinner munchies (carrot sticks, green pepper bites, or other raw vegetables), and my kids eat them all up. If I cooked the carrots into a meal, they would freak out. The veggies are healthier raw, and their a lot healthier when there actually eaten. Who cares if kids won't eat their dinner, if the snack is healthier than the dinner? -- Nancy in Germany

To get veggies into my kids, I give them Vruit. It's a fruit & vegetable juice that's all natural. It's usually sold in health food stores, but I have seen it in the regular supermarkets in our area. 8 oz. is equal to one serving of veggies, and they LOVE it! -- Tracie from MI

DIPS! That's how I get my two oldest girls 4 & 3 to eat more veggies and fruits. I like to mix either sour cream with a little dill weed for vegetables and for fruits any type of yogurt makes a great dip. Another thing I noticed is that my girls are more willing to try new and different foods if I let them help in the preparation. Sometimes it takes longer and is messier but they are proud they helped and more likely to try their creations. -- Sheena from IA

In our house, when it comes to my kids trying new foods, we have ONE rule, just try it once, if you don't like it, you never have to eat it again. My step-son always said he hated certain things, things he never even tried before. SO I just stated the one rule, "Just try it once, and if you don't like it, you never have to eat it again, BUT if you do..." Well you know. My kids enjoy that freedom and my picky 14 yr old step son, he is trying and enjoying more foods than he thought. -- Katie from TX

If you start right it's easy to have healthy eating kids. It was just never an option at our home. The child is presented with their plate of healthy choices. They are not forced to eat it. When the family is finished they are welcome to leave without eating anything. In an hour or two when they are hungry the same plate comes out of the fridge, reheated and served again. It is much more appetizing when the child is truly hungry. We do serve desserts occasionally only if the healthy food is eaten. "If you're too full for carrots, how can you possibly eat a brownie?" My kids will eat just about any vegetable for a root beer float! -- Diane from IL

My three year old twins refused to eat vegetables. My son has a milk allergy so cheese sauce isn't an option. I finally tried roasted vegetables and they ate them while moaning how good they were. I just used olive oil and a little sea salt and roasted for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. -- Debbie from IL

Getting kids to eat healthy foods doesn't have to be hard. The best thing you can do is clean and cut the fruit or veggies. A sliced apple seems to disappear in a minute! I also use tooth picks to make it more fun to eat banana or pineapple chunks. Ranch dressing is a big hit for dipping baby carrots, broccoli, and other raw veggies. For hidden nutrition I put carrots and onions in the food processor and then saute and add to spaghetti sauce. We also have the one bite rule. A new food must be tried with just one bite. My kids have turned their noses up to some foods until they tried it. Some then became favorites!! One last suggestion...Stop buying chips and cookies! If you don't have snacks in the house they won't fill up on them before healthy food. -- Cathy from MN

My kids used to hate veggies but now they can't eat enough. We have 'all veggie' night at least once a week. The trick is make it fun. I usually boil up fresh/frozen veggies (especially broccoli) and when they are done, the kids season them to their own taste. One likes a lot of butter, salt, etc. They feel special that they are "helping' and eat them right up! -- Mandy from MI

I have two tips, one is when we sit down to eat Meatloaf my son usually doesn't want it because he says he can't like it. We came up with the idea of telling him it is meatloaf sausage and he can put ketchup on it. (He loves!!!! sausage) He tried the meatloaf now he eats it when ever we have it. The other one is breaded pork chops, he use to not like these either until the other day I made him some chicken nuggets and was just going to give that to him for dinner. Then I cut up some of the pork chops told him it was pork nuggets and he ate it and liked it too. -- Beth from MI

I really get to my wits end with my oldest child, he is 12.He refuses to eats anything that looks like a bean.But I figured out if you blend the beans you can use it as a thickener (my favorite is in chili). -- Darla from SC

What I do to help my son eat healthy is I take frozen veggies (because they are the closest to fresh without the worries of storage and etc.) from Green Giant. The packages that are Cheesy Rice and Broccoli or Broccoli, Cauliflower, carrots and cheese then I add some meat to them like chicken or some cut up hot dog... the veggies can be soft for young children like my son and he likes the mixture of everything esp. because of the cheese! -- Heather from TX

I put cheese on just about every vegetable in order for my daughter to eat them. She also will eat veggies that I sneak into mac & cheese, meatloaf, hamburgers, pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches and eggs. Since being exposed to so many "green things", she will now even ask for veggies from MY plate (which have no butter, salt or anything). -- Amy from NH

One great way to get kids, and hubbies, eating spinach is to chop it fine and add to spaghetti sauce. They expect "green stuff" (actually spices) in there anyway! -- Michelle from TN

Getting kids to eat vegetables is always a struggle. I found that many veggies that I cook, my kids would eat raw with dip! We often try to convert our "fat free" lifestyle to our kids when they are really not ready for such a strict diet. Eating carrots with dip is better than not eating them at all! So, when we go to the store, I let my kids pick out their veggies and dip. When we get home, I wash them and keep them in handy containers that the kids can get to themselves. They know that it's a snack they can have without asking and in turn, I get satisfaction of knowing they are eating vegetables! -- Kelly from IN

The most effective way of keeping our children eating healthy foods was just to never have "junk" food in the house. We always provided them with fruits and vegetables and everyone ate them together. Mom and Dad are healthier and our kids have just grown up eating the foods that were best for them. We also never made candy/sweets/chips a "forbidden fruit". We always told our children that these foods were not good for them, even though they might TASTE good! Our oldest child (now 4) will turn down desert for more salad!! For snacks, dried fruits, Fig Newtons, trail mixes, sugar-free muffins, crackers, fruits and veggies have worked best. For sweeteners, we've always used fruit juices and apple sauces, carob instead of chocolate and avoided any artificial flavorings/colorings. But, again, being honest with our children about the effects of these foods (stomach aches, cavities, poor eyesight etc) and allowing them to pick out only one "treat" has worked very well. They have never felt deprived and these foods don't hold any magical sway over them, but instead they are learning how important a healthy diet is and how it is just a natural part of our lives. -- Carmen from TX

Fear Factor may not be a show that I encourage my children to watch, but it has worked wonders for getting my older daughter to eat vegetables. She pretends she is a contestant on the show and her challenge is to eat something really gross - you know, like green beans. She clears her plate each night to win "fifty-thousand dollars!” -- Tonya from TN

I have to say that my girls (5 and 3) love steamed broccoli. Ranch "dipping sauce" does help the flavor, but now they are so used to them that they hardly need the incentive. I cut the broccoli very small, which seems to help a great deal. Lately even cucumbers and lettuce have been appealing, and carrots are always a favorite. This summer I'm going to try squash! I do hide it in spaghetti but they are getting wise to my tricks! -- Catherine from CA

My kids love this recipe, it's easy to make and good for them. I spread peanut butter evenly over a tortilla and bake for about 5 minutes, until peanut butter has melted. Remove from the oven and slice bananas over the top of it. Sometimes I will drizzle a little honey over the top. Cut like a pizza. It's great for breakfast, lunch, a snack or a quick dinner! -- Rachel from MN

I remember eating apple smiles when I was little. Take a red apple, cut into 8 wedges; spread peanut butter on one side of each wedge; make a neat row of mini marshmallows on half of the wedges stack the other wedge on top of the marshmallows to make a smile. This is healthy and fun. -- Laycie from TX

If we are in a hurry and it is hot outside, we make banana shakes with bananas, ice powdered milk, honey, and a dash of vanilla extract in for flavor. Put it through the blender until thick and smooth. Sometimes nutmeg can be added. -- Mary from LA

When my son went thru that stage (about age 2 1/2) where he wouldn't eat anything, I used to make all sorts of interesting plates of food to get him to eat. It was somewhat time-consuming, but fun, and he would usually eat what I made, because it looked interesting and pretty. Ideas: Mini shish-kabobs, use toothpicks and string up small pieces of fruit, cheese, meat, veggies (my husband used to laugh and call them "Jack's Hors'dueuvres"). Spread crackers or pieces of toast with Peanut butter, hummus, or cream cheese and make funny faces on them, using bits of veggies, fruits, cheese, etc. Different shaped cookie cutters helps a lot. Cream cheese or peanut butter makes great "glue" for gluing on "eyes", etc on pieces of fruit like strawberries, to make strange monsters. Chinese noodles stuck into a cube of cheese makes a great "spider" or other bug. For a spider web, use cooked spaghetti noodles. For boats, use a slice of cheese strung on a toothpick, and stick it onto an apple slice or other fruit. Just let your imagination go wild! -- Chery from OH

This sounds a little gross but I mix peanut butter with a little mayo, which just makes it really creamy like a dip and my kids love to dip all kinds of fruit in it. My son would never even try a pear until I made this dip and now he loves to eat pears as long as we have the dip. My daughter also loves to dip her apples in it. It can be used for celery, carrots, etc. -- Maggie from TX

The best tip I can offer is to add fruits/veggies to recipes and, even better, let your child help you prepare the recipe. My son, Mikey (4), absolutely loves to help make banana pancakes and bake banana bread & muffins. Best of all, he loves to eat his healthy creations, and he is also developing a love for cooking, plus he is having fun while he is learning the importance of reading and following directions. This is great 'together time' for us :o)

Yogurt Popsicles:  You put a little yogurt (any flavor -- we use vanilla) in the popsicle container Then you
put some cut up grapes or bananas. You could use any fruit. Then you keep rotating
just make sure there is yogurt on the top and bottom. My kids love to help me make them. -- Melissa from CA

To make banana pancakes, we simply add a couple of mashed, ripened bananas to the basic pancake batter recipe. The easiest of all is the Aunt Jemima "Complete" (just add water) pancake mix. Add your mashed, ripened bananas and water to the Aunt Jemima pancake mix and you're ready to start making your pancakes!

Another fun thing to make together is rice! Mikey was fascinated to see how a little, hard grain of rice could fluff up into something so yummy when cooked! I've never seen him devour his rice so quickly, as he did the time he cooked it! -- Bonnie from FL

They understand that Mommy works very hard at work and at home, and does not have time to make separate meals for everyone.  Once they understand these basics, they know that I am not being mean but that there is a legitimate reason for them to eat what has been prepared, and they do not complain.  Of course, I only require that they eat ONE helping of each thing and then they are free to take seconds of whatever they want until their appetite is satisfied.  This encourages compassion because they understand that I am concerned about their well-being, and it allows them to be gracious regarding the efforts I have made in preparing their meals.  I have had many friends comment about what delightful children I have, and they are quite content. -- Susie from SC

I add wheat germ to my 16 month old daughters food.  It is packed with nutrition and has no taste.  You can add it to anything, pasta, yogurt, cereal, anything.  My friend has a green drawer in the refrigerator.  It is a rule that her kids eat something from the drawer.  Today they are grown and all have a green drawer in there homes. -- Sandy from OH

I have served my 4 yr old daughter spaghetti squash with red sauce and she never missed the pasta!  Just cook up the squash and you will see that it really resembles thin spaghetti, top with sauce and kids get a nutritious veggie meal.  I usually put peppers, onions and other good stuff in the sauce, so this ends up being a great healthy meal. -- Laurenne from NY

My daughter loves French fries but what kid doesn't. So for a healthy way to add vegetables to her diet but with variety, I slice up sweet potatoes (I call them sweetie fries) like you would to make homemade fries and toss lightly with oil and some salt or seasoning and bake at 425 for about 20-40 minutes depending on how thick you cut them. Make sure to turn the fries! I do the same thing with squash. Its healthy and she loves it. -- Ona from WI

My daughter loves to eat in the car, and always asks for chocolate cookies. I wanted to keep something in the car that wouldn't get messy in the warmer weather - I tried a can of freeze dried peas that I found at the local health food store, and she loves them!  They're crunchy and light and don't make a mess - so we're both happy.  I will say though, that they aren't cheap. -- Laura from MA

I actually learned this from my mother-in-law.  Most kids don't like peas and lima beans. But, when I give my daughter (who is 4) a toothpick to eat them with, she thinks it is fun. She actually eats almost all of them! -- Theresa from PA

We are drastically changing our diet.  We spent the entire winter sick Dec. 9th to Mar 20th!  Choose organic.  It may cost more but the pesticides that are used by most growers are rated for people 150lbs. or more.  So virtually your child is consuming something that is toxic when you give them fruit & veggies.  Their body spends so much time combating the pesticides and growth hormones, etc. that they cannot combat a cold.  Your Dr. will say, it is not that extreme...but you know your child and since we have started eating this way (2 months) nobody has gotten sick except my husband and he kicked it very quickly.  We are choosing organic foods, no hydrogenated oils, and very little dairy and meat. -- Amy from MN

When we were preparing to go to a primitive mission field nearly 20 years ago now, I purchased a "Jungle Camp Cookbook" put out then by New Tribes Mission.  There were a lot of good recipes for either out in the boonies, or to keep as family favorites back in "civilization".  One that my adult and teen children still like is called High Protein Energy Candy, or as we call it, Milk Candy.  It is a little "different" than what we normally consider candy, but it surely does satisfy a sweet tooth while packing in those nutrients.  Of course, those people with milk allergies or sensitivities will not be able to use this recipe.  Below is our version:

             MILK CANDY

  Combine
    1 can sweetened condensed milk
    1/4 cup oil
    1 tablespoon vanilla
    a few drops black walnut flavoring (opt.)

Add about 3 cups powdered skim milk, 1/2 cup at a time until thick and of a spreading consistency.  Use powdered milk that is in granules (usually the store brand, or Carnation) instead of the fine powdered kind (Sanalac).  Add nuts if desired.  Spread in shallow pan , OR roll in little balls, OR drop tsp. size dollops on foil. Wait until it "sets up", cut if necessary, and eat. -- Marcia from IN
 

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