Food Ideas

When my son was that age, I used a plate that is for relishes (it is called a relish tray) or deviled egg tray (it has sections). Then, I put a few cut up carrots, a few grapes, strawberries, canteloupe, etc and a few ritz crackers with peanut butter. One thing from each food group for balance. I would make faces with grapes or raisins for eyes, carrot shred for hair, etc. He loved having a plate for him.. When I asked what he wanted for dinner, he said, "Mom, just make me everything I like!!" If he only had to eat a little of each thing, he didn't get too full. Good luck. Linda

I have a 3 yr old picky eater. I put veggies/fruit through the blender then add it to pancake mix and she has no idea-a little bit of cinnamon and a drop of vanilla covers up the flavor of most veggies

Try letting her "dip" her foods. When my daughters wouldn't eat their vegetables, I gave them fat-free Ranch dressing to dip their vegies in; they loved them. They now will eat almost anything if they can dip it in ketchup or ranch dressing.

Hi, E..

Try this opposite approach. It's a ploy that used to work for 2 of my 3 sons. If you try to cajole them into anything, they have the upper hand - especially at 3. They're just learning that refusing anything puts them "in control".

Put VERY little food on her plate or dish. Give the veggies or some new dish ONLY to yourself and your husband or guests. Tell her it's "grown-up food", she probably wouldn't like it, and besides, she isn't "big enough" yet. (Ah, the challenge!!!) Then change the subject.

The adults tell each other how good it is and then reluctantly, one of us might be willing "share just a bite", so she'll know how good it is when she gets bigger. Nothing tastes as sweet as "forbidden fruit".

...And then again, it may not work. There's the 1st son who ate nothing but canned green beans for about 6 months. Sometimes you just have to Go with the flow. They won't starve.

try different things to dip them in. You can use different salad dressings for veggies and caramel or yogurt for fruits. You can even use pudding to dip fruit too. Good luck!

With both of my girls I made fruit and vegitables more of a treat. I would call fruit dessert. For many years I have had to give them veggies last or they wouldn't eat it. They are now are 13 and 11 and still love their veggies and fruit; they even like salads. As for another option. My youngest went through a stage that she would only eat "chicken". Well she ate "chicken ham", "chicken steak" etc. It seemed to work. She eventually grew out of the phase and we laugh about it now.

Lots of luck, I hope this helps.

K.

I mix veggies into everything I make..spaghetti, bow ties, soup, etc... everything. Even if it's just a little.

My 6 year old and I don't like carrots but I found a way for us both to tolerate them enough to get our share. Drop a boullion (SP.) cube in while veggies are cooking. Any veggie can be given a different flavor that is more appealing. Plus little fingers love to unwrap the cute little packages. Try two flavors at once or mix it up with something else. My little girl loves to be the one to decide if it will be beef or chicken flavored veggies at dinner!

Hello. I have heard that having the child help grow and/or prepare the food with you will get them interested in eating it. Let her mash, stir, mix, sift, etc. If she's into dress-up, let her have a special apron. Also, decorate and play with food - i.e. fill celery with peanut butter and put raisins on it and call it ants on a log. Kids cookbooks are filled with fun ideas like this. Good luck!

Hi E.. I am in the same boat but we found some creative things she will eat. She likes mashed cauliflower mixed with ricotta and mozzarella cheese. She calls it mashed potatoes. Also she loves cupcakes so I ask her to help me make spinach cupcakes. We use the pillsbury dough crusts to line the inside of mini cupcake tins and fill it with a mixture of 1 package of frozen spinach (cooked), 2 eggs, grated cheese, mozzarella and ricotta. She loves this. We also notice that she eats better if we are eating the same foods and making a fuss about how good it is. She enjoys Boston Market chicken and corn and I think this is a healthier fast food choice. Hope these ideas help. D.

Hi. Does she like salad dressings? You could try raw veggies dipped in low fat dressings or steaming the veggies and then sprinkling some parmasean cheese on them. Another sneaky way to get them in to food is if you make something with ground meat like burgers or meat loaf finely ground some veggies first and mix them in. They can't even taste them that way.

Make the vegetables into fun shapes or pictures. Kids also love to dip their food so offer a healthy dip with their vegetables. I get really great ideas from the Parents magazine.

Have you tried any recipes from the book, First Meals by Annabel Karmel? I think there are alot of kid-friendly meal ideas. Good luck!

MY DAUGHTER LOVES TO DIP FOODS! GIVE RANCH WITH HER CARROTS AND BROCCOLI. SALAD YOU CAN SLIP ANYTHING INTO (ADD CHICKEN TO MAKE IT MORE FILLING). LETTUCE, CHEEZE, AND TOM. ON SANDWICHES. FRUITS ARE TASTY SNACKS (CUT UP THE APPLE FOR HER, GRAPES ARE FUN, BANNANNAS FOR ON THE GO).

My son went through a period like that. He is now 2 and a half. I had an idea to put some of that blended up green "superfood" juice in with his orange juice. He loved it. Keep offering a variety of foods. eventually she'll get tired of french fries and cheese sandwiches. The less you stress about it the better.

I am fortunate because my daughter loves vegetables. But what I do sometimes is add the vegetables to one of her favorite dishes. I have put broccoli in her macaroni and cheese and shredded carrots in her spaghetti. She loves it and eats everything. You should try experimenting with what vegetables would taste good in some of your daughter's favorite foods. Also, you can try adding cheese to some of the vegetables, my daughter loves anything with cheese on it.

E., I live in Jax, too!! Dr. William Sears has a new CD or DVD that is called "9 Steps to a Healthier Family" and he addresses that same issue. If you would like one, just email me at ____@____.com One thing he suggests is to make a "Nibble Tray". Use a muffin/cupcake pan and put different fruits/veggies in it. It looks really colorful and inviting. For example, fill with "Cool Carrot Sticks" or "Broccoli Trees" etc..then, use a few of the sections to put healthy dips. We are hosting a Health Education Seminar in September with a local pediatrician (Dr. Miles) who is an advocate for nutrition. Should be REALLY good and helpful. Email for flyer, too. Hope that helps. Getting raw food in your child is an awesome thing. If it is processed (box, can, package) then it really has little nutritional value; however, RAW food has those amazing enzymes that we all need to live and grow. Smiles, A.

You could get a bread machine and add shredded carrots and such to the ingredients. Also mixing chopped veggies in applesauce seems to be a hit around here.

Kids at this age love the idea of dipping. my kids would only eat raw veggies they could dip in ranch dressing. Another favorite was mild salsa b/c they could dip a tortilla chip into it. You may want to heat up some cheese so they could dip into cheese sause. I also find foods that the little ones are allowed to help prepare with mom or dad in the kitchen taste the best to them.

My daughter use to have a problem with eating veggies as well. For example she hated carrots, and sweet potatoes. So the doctor suggested going back to stage 3 baby foods. So that she could get the nutrition. She still would not eat it. So I mixed the carrots and sweet potatoes with applesauce with a little sprinkle of cinnamon. It worked like a charm!!! She not only thinks that she is getting a special treat, but she is also getting her nutrition. Good luck, I know who challenging it can be.

I also have a 3 year old, and I have found that if he helps prepare it, the likely hood of eating it increases. I also add veggies to things, such as grating carrots and putting it in mac and cheese, or adding samll pieces of broccoli. Also adding things to other kids foods is realatively easy if you grind it up or grate it. Or adding small pieces of tomato to a grilled cheese, she may not see it between the bread. Good luck. Jen

i try to give my son at least two options and let him decide which vegetable he wants, then he's eating something that he picked. (I also let him pick some things at the store) Then i make sure it looks inviting and is kid friendly. And sometimes, like with brocoli, i let him help pull it apart. The main thing is to make eating healthy a fun thing instead of a fight. There's also some organic foods, like mac and cheese, that are much healthier and i think it actually taste better. Other organic foods, like cookies or snacks, are a good way to give yor child a treat without giving them junk. Then you both win!

We have a two bite rule in our home. It is a struggle at first but it works after a while. You can also try to have her help you cook!!! THIS is a HUGE helper. They love to eat what they made.

Good luck! C.
Mom of two girls 3 & 6, and baby boy on the way in three weeks

what I do with my son is I tell him Superman loves veggies. That's how he gets so strong. one time my husband pertended to be superman on the phone and told him I love Veggies so thats how!

I am not sure how to help you there as my son loved veggies and still does. I know when he wouldn't eat broccoli I used cheese sauce and he really started loving it then. Maybe get creative with sauces and stuff to pour over, maybe it would be more intisive. My brother didn't like peas or corn, well really he didn't like vegetables and my mother would make mashed potatoes and mix them, that was the only way he would eat them. I hope I could help a little anyway. Good luck!

E.,

Try steaming your veggies than cut them really small and mix with ricotta cheese and an egg than bake. You can then put tomato sauce on top. You can also do the same with the ricotta cheese in a Lasagna. I have even Pureed veggies and added them to omlets. My son is a good eater but, sometimes he likes a ketcup smiley face on his dinner or dinner in a special plate. (Publix has cute paper plates with animals on them we put dipping sauce in the animal's ears and that is well received) Keep trying we all know how important it is.

Dear E.,

Cut out all sweets and only have fruit, veggies or protein available to her. Junk food and carbs cut the appetite and then the child only wants carbs for food. Let her get good and hungry and she will eat good food. Cut out juices which are also concentrated sugar.

It might take a couple of days but you can get her to eat good food.

Hello,

When my 7 year old was younger, believe it or not she used to eat garlic. She loved anything that I gave her. When they are younger , I think they are still exploring different flavors and textures...as they age they decide what they really like. I have found that persistance is the key here. Letting her know that these are the foods that I expect her to eat(within reason) and constantly putting them on her plate.

My daughter was like that two. I did something a little different with the veggies. I told her that broccoli tops were trees and instead of giving her cooked veggies all the time I introduced her to raw veggies and ranch dressing. I also found that if she didn�t know what was in it she didn�t care what it was as long as it was good I even added a little food coloring to the green stuff. I made carrots with just 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and cinnamon that sweetened up her loss of interest. Hope I could help
Good Luck
Artfullyminded

Hi E.,
D. Geymayr with Prenatal Plus - Yoga in Miami. I used to give my daughter broccoli with vanilla ice cream and it worked. She would dip the broccoli into the ice cream and oh well, it worked. So be creative to get the good stuff in. You can buy lowfat frozen yoguart for example.

Best to you,
D. Geymayr, R.Y.T., HBCE, CD, CLD
Prenatal Plus - Yoga
www.prenatalplusyoga.com
____@____.com

make them into animal shapes or funny faces . i am a chef and was a single dad for a while and this worked for me. the doctor told me a child wont starve that as long as you provide food they will eat . but if you make the food fun to eat or even make a story up about it. like cut carrots or celery into strips and tell her they are magical straws. and to keep the unicorns happy that she has to eat at least a few and she will live haplly ever after. celery can be made into ants on a log with peanut butter and raisins. look on web for kid freindly foods. that may help some/
jack

Hi, E.
This is a typical problem and all we can do is try. Here are some of the things I do. I make home made tomato sauce and this is a good way to sneak in veg like shredded carrots, zuchinni, finely chopped mushrooms and lots of chopped fresh herbs. Let cook till all the veg is soft and melts in then serve it over you childs favorite pasta w/ lots of parmegiana cheese. I also make homemade ravioli(easier than it sounds). You can make your pasta or use premade wonton wrappers. I make spinach ravioli and sneak in veg just like the tomato sauce. Last time I put in some chopped fennel leaf and she had no idea. For easy meals I buy Amy's all natural spinach snacks and there are some other brands w/ broccoli. You can find these in the natural food section of your grocery store or the natural grocery store.

I was reading in the August 2006 and the article is called "Sidestep Condiments"

Dipping veggies in lowfat dressing or putting ketchup on meat can get kids to eat, but these condiments can be high in sugar and salt, so don't overuse them. Instead, serve food that's flavorful without relying on a squeeze bottle. For example, use seasonings, such as chili powder, to prep lean beef for tacos.

or like use peanut butter or yogurt on celery or something like that

When I was a kid I was forced to eat it. I didn't like anything. As an adult I eat every thing. But I have seen some book with ideas before I can remember what it is was though but real cute, easy stuff. peanut butter in celery with raison on it. The name is called something like Ants on a log. Go on a search on line or bookstore. I get my nephews to eat raw spinach by telling them it really doesnt taste like anything raw, no flavor and it is Popeyes food. I tell them Water is Power Juice. They only eat and drink stuff for me. Every one else they know will give in and give them what they want 1st. with me you get what I say first if not nothing at all. Hopes some of that helps. Also pick your battles, as long as she is eating healthy and not allowing her to fill up on junk. Ususally with kids if they know they can get over on you, it's just a waiting game.

Try to continuously educate her on why it's important to eat healthy to grow big and strong. My guy wants to be a superhero, so he eats lots of brocolli, carrots, apples, bananas, etc.
Also, since you stay home with your kids, as I do, try to allow her some time with you preparing the foods she doesnt like. It may help to allow her feeling of accomplishment so she'll be more inclined to eat what she helped to prepare!

hi E...

i have a two year old with possible food allergies, who is also very particular about what he eats. i highly recommend Annabel (Anabel?) Karmel's cookbooks. they are geared towards children and are full of fun ideas. Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals for kids is also great if your child doesn't have allergies.

J.

My daughter went through the same thing at that age. It turned out just to ba phase and before long she was not giving me a hard time again, but in the meantime, I started always giving my kids whole foods chewable vitamins just to be sure they were getting what they needed. Might ease your mind abit until she stops giving you a hassel!!!

I only offer my kids healthy foods and they eat it all. From brocilli to green beans and everything else. They won't eat brussle sprout, but I don't blame them.

If your daughter likes spaghetti, you can process some other veggies into the sauce. She won't be able to tell & she'll still be able to get the nutrients!

E.,

I receive email hints and tips from this site. Here was todays helpful hints and their website address so you can receive email from them if you want to subscribe..........

Good luck,
A.

Here is today's Know What topic:

========================
Converting a Picky Eater
========================

Converting a Picky Eater
By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers

Recently, Time magazine ran a story called "Rethinking First Foods."
It was a great summary of the latest information on the importance of feeding
your baby healthy foods in the first two years of their life. The article had
some very frightening statistics and comments from experts in the pediatric
field who paint a doom and gloom story that confirms our kids are getting
fatter. The problem with the story was it left us, as parents, feeling
defeated.

We'd like to pick up where the story left off by offering tips that can make a
difference when it comes to developing your child's eating habits. One of the
points brought up in the story is that parents tend to feed their baby's and
toddlers "kid food." We all know what this is. Its pizza, chicken
nuggets, hot dogs, chips, etc. and we know this stuff is not healthy. So if it
is just as easy to open a bag of baby carrots as it is a bag of chips why do are
many parents reaching for chips over carrots? Many parents say it is because
they have a "picky eater" and these are the only foods the child will
eat.

What most parents don't realize is that all toddlers are picky eaters. And it's
perfectly normal, even expected developmental behavior. It may surprise you to
find out that this behavior has very little to do with the taste of food and is
mostly about wanting control of a situation. Most toddlers learn very early that
eating is very easy to control and it is likely to get a response out of you.
This makes it fun (for your kid, not you)!

The big challenge for parents is NOT to give into this behavior, and DON'T fall
into the trap of offering bland, unhealthy foods as a replacement for flavorful,
healthy foods. This can be a difficult time. Here is our advice:

* Start early

* Include them

* Set goals

* Be consistent, firm, and don't give up

* Don't rush meals

* Praise

* Be a good role model

Above all, don't scold your child or get mad if they don't eat new things right
away. Some kids just need a little more time to try new foods. Eating should be
a pleasurable experience.

About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of
five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators of products such as homemade
baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays,
breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries. Visit them online at
www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly
ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits!

For more information:
http://newsletters.keepkidshealthy.com/cgi-bin/knowwhat.c...

More Know What topics:
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