I have taken care of over 200 kids (not all at once). Several of them had brought soda and candy bars for breakfast. I said no to that and made oatmeal. They never had oatmeal and refused to eat it.
I told them it was magic oatmeal. Before I dished the oatmeal into bowls, I put a couple of drops of food coloring in the bottom of bowl. I told them that they had to stir their oatmeal once the milk was poured. One had blue oatmeal and another red, green, and yellow. They got so excited they couldn't wait until they got their next bowl of oatmeal. They learned their colors at the same time!
By cj from Minot, ND
I bought a clear glass dinner plate from the $1 store. I set the plate on top of my granddaughter's Strawberry Shortcake placemat. When she eats her food, Strawberry starts to show through.
Even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy this fruit and veggie smoothie. Carrots and cucumbers are perfectly blended with apples and pineapple, in this yummy smoothie.
Young children can often be picky about certain foods. However, eating a healthy diet is an important lesson to learn even if it means a few tears are shed. This is a page about 7 year old won't eat healthy food.
Children are greatly affected by "shapes" of their food. The smaller bow tie pasta is great way to encourage them to eat.
I often have my grandson at my house. Being a toddler, he is a picky eater. I came up with this idea when we were reading a book called "Eating a Rainbow".
Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get my seven year old son to eat anything but bread and butter? I have tried everything I can thing of, but nothing works. Unless we give him his bread and butter he won't stop crying. I don't know what to do, it is ripping the family apart. Please help.
By Brooke
Brooke I wouldn't worry too much, but it could be a medical problem. So I would get him checked out. But other than that you have to keep saying no. Why not change your diet so all the kids get equal and make sure there is no bread and butter at the table? Load the plate with food before you put them on the table and don't make him eat instead talk about your day and ask the other kids about their day. He will get sick of crying and just start eating.
I had some picky eaters back in the olden days. It became apparent to me that if they get hungry enough they will eat. If the bread and butter aren't available he'll eat other things if he gets hungry enough. Take a holiday from bread and as mc4life says fill the plates before putting them on the table.
I personally think a 7 year old should be past the time of crying to get his way. Tell him what a big boy he is when he doesn't cry. There is also the issue of proper nutrition. You need to consider that and really get this young'un to where he will like good things in addition to the b & b.
If your child is a poor eater, put their child size portion on a big dinner plate. That way it looks like you're only asking them to eat a little bit.
We recently moved from the UK to Florida. My son was already a fussy eater but would eat chicken, sausages, fish fingers, pasta shapes in tomato sauce, cereals with milk, bread, and yoghurts. Now here in the US he won't eat anything, except some chips (fries) and a fish stick if we are lucky. If we ask him to try stuff we think he'll like he goes into a panic and makes up his mind he don't like it. How can I get him to try stuff without him going into melt down? It's heart breaking.
By Athers1
I would guess it has more to do with the stress of making such a big move rather than the food itself. Is he adjusting well to life in the US? Maybe sit him down and have a talk about how he's feeling, if you haven't already.
I know when I moved from the US to the UK I was always thrilled to come across some American foods I recognised, even if it wasn't a brand I usually ate! It was a little taste of home. A lot of supermarkets have international sections and you might be lucky enough to find some familiar UK brands that he might like. If not, maybe you could have someone in the UK send off a little care package with some of his favorite sweets or something like that, just something familiar. Good luck!
I have a 5 year old son who has autism and he is a picky eater. He only eats French fries chicken nuggets and pizza from Lil' Caesar's. Can anyone suggest any tips to get him to eat more foods?
I would give him v8 fruit juice and put it in a fruit juice bottle, that should take care of some of the vegetables....buy him his own little cup for it that is special. Buy him a special plate for vegetables, does he like cheese?
With autism my guess is he has come to associate shape and texture with tasty things to eat.
Try making your own chicken nuggets, fries and pizzas using different foods, and package them in the containers he has come to recognize.
For instance:
Fruit pizza; use cream cheese as the sauce and top with fresh sliced fruit.
And home made pizza sauce can be made with all kinds of veges in it. Best to use is minced carrot, zucchini, onion, fresh tomato, but the sky is the limit.
Maybe your home made pizza in a Ceasars box will get his attention.
Not that deep fried is the way to go, but batter fried veges like cauliflower and zucchini may look and taste somewhat like chicken nuggets to him.
Restaurants serve sweet potato fries, which are really easy to bake.
BUT most importantly, keep in mind that try and try again is the motto with any child. Their taste buds change quickly, and often times they will grow out of their "super taster" taste buds. BTW there really is such a thing as a super taster, and it just means that the persons taste buds are highly sensitive.
It puts me in mind of my mom who, when she became a diabetic, had to give up Hershey's chocolate. After not tasting it for a year or so, it was so saltly to her it was no longer appealing.
Good Luck
I am a pediatric OT, and some of the suggestions we make are behaviorally based, such as:
1. Introduce a new food by its presence only at first. Put it in a smal ziploc bag, and put it on the table near his plate. Over a few days, move it to his plate, still in the bag.
2. Next step is to put it on his plate. The point is for him to tolerate its presence, he does not have to eat it. Encourage him, after a few more days, to try it, if he has words. Let him see you eating it. Reward him with a favored food if he tastes it. Bear in mind it can take MANY tries for a new food to be accepted.
Other suggestions are to try similar foods: other food made in nugget form, pizza rolls (like the mini, rectangular egg roll style ones), Try his favorite pizza with new toppings on it. There are "chicken fries" in the freezer case at the grocery store. Cut other foods into the familar shapes of fries, especially apples.
I note that the foods your son will eat have minimal odor. Is he also sensitive to scent? You might try other low odor foods.
I have seen a number of children with the same favorites; other things they would eat are hot dogs, doritos, and juice. If your son likes a certain condiment, you can try letting him dip other foods in it. I have known children who would eat anything as long as it was dipped in bbq sauce.
Some children are sensitive to the textures of foods. Simply looking at foods they don't favor is enough to make them gag. You have to keep trying.
(But you knew that.)
Ask his doctor how long it is OK to let him get "hungry" before caving? (Our toughest little guy was also diabetic, so HAD to eat--even then, he did not always eat...)
If he has a behaviorist, ask for tips. There are also lots of autism websites with bulletin boards. Good luck!
I was an extremely picky kid, I admit. I didn't think I liked anything - no vegetables or any strange or new food. I was pretty much meat and potatoes, and sweets, of course. My parents would demand that I eat; forcing me, threatening, even hitting, and withholding desserts if I didn't "clean my plate."
