My son just turned 6 and has a reasonably varied diet. He eats some vegetables - corn, peas, broccoli, tomatoes, edamame. LOTS of fruit he likes and will eat every day. Of course, cheese, yogurt, crackers, peanut butter. And the "easy kid food" - mac & cheese, chicken nuggets (store brand), fish sticks.
We've had an odd eating routine in terms of not one family meal because of crazy shifts and stuff - it was easier to just make whatever for him, because hubby and I were eating at different times. I fell into the trap of the "easy kid food" a bit and I want to gradually get out of it. I'm looking for a way to move him from the "nugget" style chicken and fish onto the more "adult", less breaded/processed stuff. He is reasonably good at trying things - we went to a chinese restaurant and he tried a california roll sushi, tempura shrimp and chicken, and even pad thai noodles. He liked the pad thai but the tempura was "too yucky". He does have SOME texture issues, but nothing crazy. I'm sensitive to some textures too, so I think it's in the normal range.
Any thoughts on ways to introduce other than just making them available for trying? How to ease a kid into a new food texture?
Thanks for your help!
We had luck with serving everyone the same stuff. BUT if they didn't want what we had, the could always have a piece fruit or peanut butter and whole grain bread. Eventually, that got boring, and they try what we are having... good luck. We still have good and bad days, but overall, its nice to all eat together :)
I agree about having him help you make it. Choose one new ingredient a week and try 2 different recipes.
Make your own "nuggets" to get away from the processing and salt. I cut up chicken tenders or breasts into bite size pieces, dip in egg and then in a mix of bread crumbs and wheat germ, then quickly brown up the outside in olive oil, and finish in the oven. Try a variety of dipping sauces to introduce new flavors in small amounts: honey mustard, teriyaki, etc. You can easily make your own to limit the salt and avoid the processing chemicals.
Make a salad bar or taco bar, and increase the variety of offerings. Kids like to serve themselves, and other than a bunch of little bowls to wash, it's not a hassle!
There are a lot of ways to make better mac and cheese - pureed cauliflower and pureed butternut squash mix in with the cheese. Just get out of the boxed stuff - so little in the way of nutrition and about the same as in a box of Cheez-its, based on a side-by-side comparison of ingredients.
My son likes enchiladas - spread out the tortilla, spread on what items you want down the center (refried beans, any drained black or kidney or pinto beans, some diced green or red peppers, a handful of frozen corn or peas, maybe some diced chicken or browned up ground beef or turkey, and some cheddar or Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese), fold up the two sides and secure with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet, top with your favorite tomato sauce (we use plain puree and flavor it up with cumin and coriander or some cilantro leaves), and bake for about 20 minutes at 350. Add some more cheese to the top for the last 5 minutes. Serve with Spanish rice (use tomato sauce or puree instead of some of the water). You can make the enchiladas and the rice day before and eat for a couple of days.
You could make your own breaded chicken - either use something like shake 'n bake or actual bread crumbs. Or you could have homemade mac and cheese as a side dish and introduce some other meat etc at the same time. my kids are fairly selective, so sometimes I compromise and have chicken nuggets for them and something fancier for hubby and I, but we all eat the same sides.
Plus I would just make what you want to eat and serve it to him. He might surprise you with what he ends up liking.
Have him help pick the menu and then have him help you make it! As a general rule, children are proud of what they do and will try what they made.
My son is 6, he is a picky eater and has been since he was a baby.
But, he does try things.
And he has naturally... expanded his palate on his own.
There are so many varied foods, ethnically in Hawaii.
Whether that be what I cook myself, or what is available at stores or restaurants. So he is exposed to many foods. Everyday.
But I don't expect him, to try foods, as a pointed goal.
I mean, he has his likes and dislikes. Just like me too, even if I am a non-picky eater. Everyone does.
And even some adults, do not try exotic foods, at all.
But yet for some reason, children are, expected to eat so many things and like it. And it they don't like it, then the child is assumed to have food issues. But we don't say that about an adult. I don't know why.
And it is NOT, always due to some texture problem or issue.
It is just, a like or dislike.
And some Tempura... is, yucky and not well made. Some are soggy. Some are crispy. Fine. I like Tempura, but don't like it at some restaurants. Fine. It doesn't mean I have "texture" issues.
The thing is, even in adults... they don't even like to try or eat certain things.
And the thing is, ALL throughout our lives, food likes and dislikes... changes. And our food favorites or non-favorites, changes too.
And it is not due to some, food "issue."
It is just preferences.
For example, I know many people that will NOT even try to eat, Hawaiian food. But I love it.
Fine.
Going back to my son.
He eats just fine, even if he is picky. His repertoire of foods he eats, has increased, all by itself. We don't have food battles at all. He eats, he grows like a weed, and our Pediatrician says he eats WELL... because, he listens... to his body and knows his body.
Our Pediatrician says, he is perfect... in his eating habits.
My son likes something called "Poke." Which is a Hawaiian food made of raw fish. But *I*, an adult... do not like it. But I like other types of raw fish dishes. And I don't have texture or food issues. I just don't like Poke. I should not have to eat it. Fine.
But my son likes, it. Fine.
I don't expect him to like what I like or to dislike what I dislike.
He is an individual.
Just take your son to places, food places, that have various things. Bring some home. See if he eats it, or even if you eat it and like it.
I like Poi. A Hawaiian food.
MANY adults, don't even like it. But I do.
My daughter loved it as a toddler. But does not like it anymore.
Fine.
Same with Tofu.
My daughter loved grape tomatoes as a Toddler. But not anymore. She likes Artichokes. Same as my son.
But I could take it or leave it.
Fine.
And we love, Papaya Salad. Which is a Thai dish.
But not everyone does. Fine.
The way you introduce or make available MANY types of foods, is just to buy it and make it. And you eat it too. Or, go to restaurants or ethnic food markets, and buy stuff. Even if you don't know what it is And try it.
And, you could try and cook... differently yourself. Try cooking different ethnic or regional dishes. That is another way to introduce varied tastes and foods, not only to your son, but to the whole... family. And see if everyone likes it or not.
As a whole, I don't make it a point to have my son eat or try things, as a project or as a pointed, goal.
I just cook what I cook.
We just eat what we eat, and even if that is at restaurants.
And my son will eat something from whatever is there.
Even if he is picky.
Fine.
Remember: food eating is NOT static.
And even some adults, are very.... rigid in what they eat or not.
Not everyone, will eat, anything.
But it does not mean that they have food texture issues.
My Husband, likes liver.
I HATE it.
I don't care if a famous gourmet chef made it. I hate it.
I would try it by meeting in the middle. Instead of a 'nugget', get a nice piece of fish and bread/bake one piece of it for your son. (you can find plenty of easy 'breading' recipes in cookbooks or online-- it can be as simple as dipping it into a milk/egg mix and dredging it in panko crumbs)
I think keeping new foods available is important. Let me ask you-- how did *you* learn to adjust/adapt to new textures? Was this something your parents facilitated or something which just happened on its own as you grew up?
I'd make sure each night that he has some foods he reasonably likes on his plate and then offer that new thing (family style serving, mind you) without a lot of fanfare. This has been the *only* way that we introduce things to our son. We just act like it belongs on the plate or on the table, enjoy it ourselves and let him decide. We also make *him* responsible for any substitutions these days. Now, if he complains about what I'm serving and wants something different, I tell him "well, go the fridge and get a carrot" (or hard-boiled egg-- great protein pinch hitter, or whatever) and have him wash/peel or prep it himself. I put the task of the food prep back in his lap. We find that sometimes he will do the work and sometimes, lo and behold, he'll just decide to eat what we're having anyway.
Have you tried just giving him regular meat, or are you assuming that because he likes chicken nuggets and fish sticks he won't like the non processed? I know that both my boys would choose regular, non breaded baked chicken or fish over breaded chicken nuggets or fish stick any day. I like to take them to a buffet once in a while and just let them choose what they want to try. They usually end up trying and liking something new.
just start having one dinner for athe family.. with the same foods.. we have always done this.
of course our menu.. is spaghetti, and such that kids almost always eat..
As for the chicken, just make the regular chicken and serve it. I've had visiting kids that have been totally boggled by being faced with a whole piece of unprocessed chicken, because they are used to breaded things or boneless-skinless breasts. Once they try it they've all loved it.
