Eat your food or you’ll Starve!

Picky eaters!!!

Who has one? If you do not have a picky eater in the house what have you done to encourage your children to eat all sorts of foods? Do you make different meals for yourself and the children at night? Do you eat all together, at different times, or in different locations?

Our daughter was a little bit of a picky eater for a small amount of time. Our son now is 3 and as soon as he sees that supper is on the table, he says “I don’t like it” without even seeing really what is on the plate. We have been trying different techniques to get him to eat but so far not just one has worked 100% of the time.

It can be so frustrating to have to fight with your kid at supper time! The whining, crying, yelling, and spitting food out. I know Mamas…. It can give you grey hair! Let’s give all sorts of grace! Take a deep breathe, and remember there are other Mamas out there who are having the same struggle!

Hang in there! Here are some ways we are dealing with the struggle of a picky eater.

Setting

My husband and I decided long ago that we would eat as a family at supper time. It’s a great time to be together, talk about our days joys and struggles, and really connect with one another. We are not perfect and we do eat in front of the TV on occasions while watching a family movie, and that is completely fine! We all need a night off here and there!

So when it’s time for supper at the table we have tried to keep it routine that the kids come to the table, while we get the food plated and in front of them. Then we pray and the kids yell “Eat time”!! We then go around the table and talk about our favorite part of the day. This gives us a chance to really find the joy in everyday!

Lately this routine has changed for our son. He has been declaring when he gets to the table “I don’t like it”, and then throwing a bit of a fit. He usually has to go calm down in his room and then will come sit with us at the table, and about 50% of the time he will eat.

As a parent I cringe when he doesn’t, and think that I’m starving my child, but I have heard from multiple physicians that kids will eat when they are hungry, that they will not starve themselves. So I try to tell myself he is not starving, that I am a good mom even if he chooses not to eat!

Things we have tried

I should explain our method of parenting is to not make more than one meal for supper. The kids eat what we eat. That’s just what my husband and I decided long ago for our family. If you do things differently and it works for your family- Great!!! No judgement here.

So as I mentioned we have tried to send him to his room to calm down and make a good decision. This works to get him to relax and come to the table calmly but then there’s the problem of him not wanting to eat the food. He only wants to eat peanut butter and jelly. (I get the want for pbj , it is delicious!) This just isn’t a choice he gets to make at supper.

We have tried to encourage him, by showing him how sister eats and rewarding her for eating so well. Telling him he can have dessert after if he will eat a few bites, teasing him about eating and being silly with it (oh you better not eat that carrot, or you will be in so much trouble…hehe) , and my husband tried the other day to give him a chocolate and tell him its his and he can eat it after supper ,but if he does not eat supper daddy will take his chocolate away- this worked once!

So many things we have tried, but nothing works everytime. He was a good eater before the last few months, but then he decided to not be. I attribute some of this to his age too. I know there are other 3 year olds that go through this phase and I’m hoping that’s all it is, but I am always wanting to challenge my Mama skills and help him get through the phase faster!

The Nutrition factor

Kids and most adults want to eat things that are sugary, salty, fatty, and let’s face it -foods that are terrible for our nutrition but are so very delicious. I have a hard time getting the right nutrition for myself, let alone for my children.

So how can we get these kids to not only eat their veggies, but enjoy them so they continue to eat them through out their lives?

*One of the easiest methods is just to offer them, or have them on their plates at each lunch and dinner. This makes it routine for them to see veggies, and hopefully will stick as something they think belongs with these meals.

*Letting your kids help you cook! This is one of my favorites, if you have read some of my other posts you will see that I love to cook and bake with the kids! My kids love to help cook veggies, or at least help me cut them up (they cut with a butter knife), season them, and mix them before I put them on a skillet or a baking dish. They really take pride in that they got to help with supper. To even make this better- let them plant their own veggies and harvest! I know my kids love to try veggies that they have grown.

*Serving veggies with a dipping sauce or putting something over the veggie like cheese can ease them into trying the veg and hopefully help them to see that it is delicious.

*You can definitely try to hide veggies in meals by cutting them super small, stuffing them in pasta or blending them into a sauce. My only thought with this method is they will not grow up knowing they like the veg and they will fall off the veggie eating boat after you stop cooking for them. Although you could have them help you dice them up and make a tator tot out of the mix – try this recipe – https://sweetsimplevegan.com/baked-veggie-tater-tots/ . Let me know how it goes!

Food for thought

You are what you eat! Who else has heard this, right everyone!

It is so very true, and in the USA we need to remember that processed foods, although cheap can really impact our health and our children’s health. In the US the number of childhood obesity is on the rise and this comes with health concerns such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure into our littles! Let’s do our part and help our kids learn to make healthy decisions, stay active and really become health adults someday!

I pray for all those parents that are struggling to keep food on the table, struggling to get those picky eaters to eat, and those who are struggling with any health concerns for their children.

-Kristy