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3 Myths About Picky Eating
Week after week, Kaden Hansen's menu looks like this: macaroni and cheese, cheddar-cheese slices, chicken nuggets, and plain cheese pizza. Breakfast is cold cereal with rice milk, never cow's milk. He'll eat a certain brand of angel-hair pasta with butter but won't touch spaghetti. He loathes vegetables and most fruits. Salad or casserole? Not a chance. The foods on his plate must never, ever touch one another.
Preschoolers are notoriously picky, sometimes living on noodles and crackers for months at a time and rejecting just about everything with protein, fiber, vitamins, or minerals. However, Kaden (we've given him a pseudonym at his mom's request) isn't 3, he's 11 -- and he still refuses to try anything new.
"When he was little I thought I could just wait it out, but his diet hasn't gotten any better," says his mother, Suzanne, who lives near Portland, Oregon. "Our pediatrician doesn't seem worried because he's basically healthy, but it's so frustrating. I love food, and I know that nutrition is important."
When every bite seems like a battle, it's stressful for the whole family. And it doesn't matter whether your child is 12 months old or 12 years old. If you're not fighting with your kid, you're often feeling guilty about giving in to his demands and embarrassed when you have to tell your in-laws that their grandchild won't eat what they are serving for dinner. "Parents cry in our office because they're so exasperated," says Mark Fishbein, M.D., a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children's Memorial Hospital, in Chicago, and coauthor of Food Chaining: The Proven 6-Step Plan to Stop Picky Eating, Solve Feeding Problems, and Expand Your Child's Diet. Indeed, when we asked Parents readers on Facebook about their picky eaters, more than 1,200 moms complained about the struggles over meals in their own home.
It's hard to know if you should simply pray that your child's eating habits will eventually improve, or be more proactive about the situation. Experts say don't give up: "The longer a child continues to be picky, the more likely it is that he'll always be picky," says Dr. Fishbein. "However, parents shouldn't feel helpless." The best strategies for inspiring healthier dining habits are often the most subtle. Although there's no quick fix, the first step is to rethink the conventional wisdom that you've heard about fussy eaters.
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Another problem is that parents are unprepared for the picky eating phase. With my first child I became concerned and just served what she liked to make sure she was not hungry. With the second one and a Master Degree in nutrition under my belt I just relaxed and served the foods we all ate. The difference between the two experiences is dramatic! The proportions of picky eating epidemics are epic and parents need more guidance and support.
4/5/2012 10:53:11 PM Report AbuseAnother problem is that parents are unprepared for the picky eating phase. With my first child I became concerned and just served what she liked to make sure she was not hungry. With the second one and a Master Degree in nutrition under my belt I just relaxed and served the foods we all ate. The difference between the two experiences is dramatic! The proportions of picky eating epidemics are epic and parents need more guidance and support.
4/5/2012 10:44:15 PM Report AbuseI second another commenter's recommendation that you try smoothies. We freeze strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, so we always have healthful ingredients for smoothies that taste like milk shakes and yet have no added ingredients other than low fat milk or sometimes homemade yogurt. Even when my twin toddlers are being difficult about what they eat, they always drink smoothies enthusiastically.
3/31/2012 11:26:02 PM Report AbuseI would like to thank for the article first,. Very useful topic . I think this this article Will be definitely help me to tackle my daughters feeding issues. My daughter is 4 years old, she is very much in to healthy food but variety is limited. So I want to try other healthy foods aswel, which is not easy,but I'm verv sure this article will be very use ful in that case. Thank you parent once again for this article .
3/31/2012 07:18:13 AM Report Abuseit doesn't give you TIPS on what to do....its a lot of nothing
3/30/2012 10:43:52 PM Report Abusedoesn't like it- just happy he tried it!!) eats a much bigger variety of foods and will still gag a bit with foods he doesn't like but doesn't throw up anymore and will 99% of the time finish his meal (sometimes it takes him a long time to finish!) Hang in there all of you, it does get better slowly with perserverence and it is ok when your tired and exhausted to feed them something you know they will eat without feeling guilty- there is always tomorrow!
3/30/2012 11:09:45 AM Report Abusenew food. Even after he was diagnosed, whilst I understood what the problems with eating were, I didn't give into him all of the time. I picked my battles, I even alternated dinners between healthy/new and what I knew he would eat (tin spaghetti, hot chips, honey sandwiches...) It has been a struggle but I now have an eight year old who will try most things, (and I let him spit it out if he /3..
3/30/2012 11:09:10 AM Report AbuseMy first born had trouble as soon as we introduced finger food. He was great with solid food as long as it had gone through the blender and he was 18 months old before he would eat some foods that had not been processed. He has a sensory processing disorder with autistic traits but was not diagnosed until he was 4 years old so we struggled with food for a long time not understanding why he wouldn't try new things, could make himself throw up just looking or smelling a /..2
3/30/2012 11:08:37 AM Report AbuseThere is a phenomenon that occurs with little kids called the "just right" phenomenon. It's extremely common and not a disorder. Kids may be very picky during this time because of this "just right" deal. Don't think your child has a problem or a disorder because in fact they're totally normal.
3/30/2012 10:17:17 AM Report Abusei did not no a lot of what this article had to say it helped a lot. my sons has developmental delays, and no one said that this could just go with it. he also has sensory problems so this helped us see things differently ! thanks so much for posting it.
3/30/2012 10:02:58 AM Report AbuseDon¿t dismiss the control issue. As the parent of an ADHD kid EVERYTHING is a control issue. She has been a picky eater since she began eating solid food and not only has her repertoire of choices not grown in 3+ years (she's almost 6 now), it has diminished. Whereas she at one time would eat zucchini, peas, carrots and other veggies as well as fish and chicken, the only veggie we can now get into her is corn and protein is limited to Mac & cheese, boiled hot dogs, yogurt and grilled cheese.
3/7/2012 02:22:49 PM Report Abusemy son is the worst at eating. he'll only eat cheese and fish sticks. To compensate for the loss of nutrients I offer him "special juice" for his morning snack. Whether it's a smoothie packed with fruits and yogurt or a fresh veggie mix from the juicer, he loves it! His favorite is apple/carrot juice!
3/5/2012 09:56:27 AM Report AbuseThanks for the thoughtful comments on my story! It's not always a disorder; for many kids, pickiness is just a stage they'll outgrow if they continue to be presented with a variety of healthy choices in a fun, no-pressure environment. But some kids need extra help, as the article notes, and lots of space and understanding, as larajo23 said. Thanks again for reading and commenting!
2/28/2012 10:29:02 AM Report AbuseI cringe inside when other parents complain about having a picky eater as I watch their kids devour a whole meal, or even a whole pack of fruit snacks. My son has had food issues since he was 6 months old and after a number of test with no answers I am left to hope he consumes enough calories that count. No matter what great parenting tactic others think would work better, kids with long term food challenges and parents helping them need space and understanding. Love the article for that reason!
2/24/2012 09:18:49 AM Report AbuseI agree with everything in this article accept for the part about this being a disorder..at that age, children realize, hey, i can choose what i want to eat,i want junk.lol.. It starts, at home, with the parent.We need to encourage them & teach them that eating healthy is important for our body & minds.. Make cooking & eating different foods interesting to your child... Visit me on FB~ http://www.facebook.com/luvJeSsIcAD ~ http://tipsandtricksfornewmommys.weebly.com/index.html
2/23/2012 09:28:10 PM Report Abuse