Picky Eating

My twins are 21 months, and my son is an extremely picky eater. I've been preparing two different meals for them almost every time, since he usually doesn't eat anything other than mac n cheese and PB&J sandwiches. Then I prepare a totally different meal for my husband and I after they go to bed. I am tired of preparing all these different meals every single day!

I feel like telling my son, if you don't eat this, you don't get anything at all. He's probably too young to understand the words, but will he get the message after a while, and start trying more things??

Does this work for kids this young, or do I need to wait a couple of years?

Thanks.

 

I make one meal and then usually offer a side or two that I know they will eat. So for example, last night I made Jambalaya with shrimp and sausage and a tossed green salad. I gave them a little Jambalaya (which they ate; sometimes they don't), some carrots that I had out for the salad, and some applesauce. While DH and I didn't eat the applesauce, I knew they would.

Sometimes I will make a variation of what we are eating, but using the same ingredients. So for example, we ate a lot of taco salad this summer. I gave them some chicken on the side, and would use the cheese to make a tiny quesadilla for them. So while they were not eating salad, they were eating a lot of what I had already prepared. That way, I was not really cooking a separate meal.

We started doing this right before they turned two. I too was exhausted from having to cook two meals. My kids were not super picky, but now they eat just about anything. Well, they try just about anything....they don't always eat it! But like I said, I always try and give them something on the side that I know they will eat (green beans, carrots, applesauce, apple slices, cheese, olives, broccoli).

 

QUOTE(twoin2005 @ Oct 29 2007, 06:08 PM) [snapback]472471[/snapback]
We started doing this right before they turned two. I too was exhausted from having to cook two meals. My kids were not super picky, but now they eat just about anything. Well, they try just about anything....they don't always eat it! But like I said, I always try and give them something on the side that I know they will eat (green beans, carrots, applesauce, apple slices, cheese, olives, broccoli).

We try to do something really similar to this for my 3 year old. My twins are still a little on their own for meals, but getting closer every day to eating (at least some) of what the rest of us are eating.

 

I'm guilty of totally cooking something for them and then doing whatever I want for myself. Sometimes it overlaps too.

We aren't getting a lot of new foods going these days. Martin will try just about anything, but Ali has to like the look of it!!

I usually do well when I don't give them snacks. Tonight they ate well. Hardly had lunch and no snack, so I made food I want them to eat and they did a pretty good job! Well enough to get a cookie. The last time they ate a well rounded enough meal to get a cookie was sometime in EARLY SEPTEMBER.....Snacking kills my efforts!!!

 

QUOTE(twoin2005 @ Oct 29 2007, 10:08 PM) [snapback]472471[/snapback]
I make one meal and then usually offer a side or two that I know they will eat. ...

Sometimes I will make a variation of what we are eating, but using the same ingredients. So for example, we ate a lot of taco salad this summer. I gave them some chicken on the side, and would use the cheese to make a tiny quesadilla for them. So while they were not eating salad, they were eating a lot of what I had already prepared. That way, I was not really cooking a separate meal.


This is basically what I do too. Some days (a lot of days!) they eat nothing but plain rice and/or shredded cheese and/or applesauce for dinner. But that is just as healthy (or maybe more so!) as eating mac & cheese or PB&J all the time.

As an example, I'm making a Thai stir-fry beef dish with eggplant and bell peppers tomorrow. I'll make sure to save some rice for them. I'll give them a bit of rice with sauce on it, a bit of plain rice, and a separate dish with a little bit of the beef & veggies. I'll probably also offer them a banana.

 

My kids have always eaten what we eat. I have never cooked a second meal for my kids. On a very very rare occasion I bite into something (usually DH has cooked), and my mouth feels like it is on fire, i will concede and make pb sandwiches if none of the kids will eat it. If 3 out of 4 are eating it without a problem, #4 (aka William) will not get anything different.