What do you feed your kids?

I really need ideas. My kids are very picky and would just snack on junk all day if I let them... I really don't know what to do anymore. They only want sugary cereal for breakfast. They won't eat their school lunch if I make it somewhat healthy (DS has been eating cream cheese and jelly or chicken nuggets every day, pretty much, DD eating the fruit and cookie and maybe half her sandwich/chicken nuggets on good days). Then they come home and just want junky snacks. They eat a decent dinner but then they ask for dessert.
 
And now they can reach the cups in the cupboard and are starting to drink all the juice (which is my husband's and I think I'm done buying).
 
Help?

 

A couple of things come to mind.  First, this didn't happen overnight.  It's not going to be fixed overnight.  Take it one meal at a time. 
 
Second, if you are the one doing the grocery shopping, just start not buying the junk.  They can't eat what isn't there.  You and dh need to both be on board with it.  If he goes out and buys the junk after you've said no, then it will not work.  
 
I would start where the kids are.  Sarah seems to have been born with tasted buds that love veggies and fruit and most things good and wholesome.  Timothy didn't get those.  He got the food allergy-laden taste buds that made him look like a super picky eater when in reality, I didn't understand he was instinctively avoiding anything with dairy in it (which is quite a bit of food).  Once I understood he was dodging allergies, eating got so much better. 
 
Also start where they are with the healthy things that they do like.  Timothy loves and adores salsa, which is pretty much nothing but chopped veggies.  So, he eats chips and salsa some.  He eats burritos a lot (beans, salsa, lettuce, meat).  And he'll even eat taco salad if I pack that for lunch.  I knew he liked chopped apples.  I discovered he'd eat a lot more apples if I give him Sunbutter to dip in.  Given the nutritional label on the Sunbutter, I'm okay with that.  So start with the healthy things your kids like and build off of them.
 
I would also start recipe searching and fix some meals where you make a big deal that you and dh are also trying this recipe for the first time.  Let the kids watch you model trying new things, new veggies, whatever.  
 
And if all else fails, it's okay to be a bit devious.  My dh just shakes his head when I make pumpkin muffins.  Timothy gobbles them down for the sake of the few little miniature chocolate chips on top.  Timothy doesn't seem to notice the whole wheat flour, flax seed, pumpkin and applesauce in them.  I've also been known dump dried fruit in the bottom where the kids didn't see it and had eyes only for those few little chocolate chips on top.  Sarah is to the point where she doesn't even want the chocolate chips.  She prefers dried cranberries and dates in them.  
 
Good luck.  My kids are pretty good eaters.  Sarah generally always was.  Timothy went through a period where he really wasn't, but I can say it's honestly much, much better now.  
 
Marissa

 

I agree with Marissa. Start where they are and build from there. I also think the "simplest" solution is to just not buy the junk. Talk to your kids about the changes you're making and why. I use a lot of the principles from the blog It's Not About Nutrition to work with my picky eaters. Things we're working on right now are being willing tasters and variety. I feel like the next major change we need to make as a family is to either completely or nearly completely eliminate bread and bread like foods from our house. I'm starting to think that until that happens we're just going to keep relying on it as the "fall back" food we know the kids will eat.

 

I think the biggest trick at our house was that they have to try whatever I make. We go to the farmers market and they pick out a vegetable they want to try and we go home and make it. And by try, I mean they have to touch it, put it on their tongue and that's it. Sometimes they like it right away, sometimes not, but we have added a lot of options to our meals this way. I also use certain things to my advantage; they loooooove meatballs, so I'll add extra veggies to spaghetti sauce and make squash noodles, and they'll clean their plates. We also talk a lot about healthy eating and how it makes your body healthy. We also grew a garden this year, which they loved, and we had all kinds of vegetables from that they were excited about.

I also agree with just not buying junk. And going out to exercise right before meals helps too. Substitute fruit for cookies. Also, let them help you cook too. I try to get mine involved in some mundane tasks, even though it only lasts a few minutes. But they're more willing to try things when they've "helped".

 

I agree just don't buy it. We went through the same thing and I cut out the junk and aside from Hannah holding out with not trying "mixed together" foods they eat great. I agree serve extra fruit and veggies that they like, we have Hannah extra broccoli at supper because I knew she wouldn't eat the homemade Mac n cheese because it has cheese in it (she's weird).

 

I agree with PP.  I would not buy the junk or institute a rule of eating a piece of fruit/carrots/other vegetable before the junky food.  If they are truly hungry, they will take the fruit/veggie option (or at least my kids do).  Also with the juice, I have the cups out of their reach, if there is anyway you can do that, I would do it, so they have to ask you for juice and you can control the intake.  I let my kids have a quarter of cup of juice at the end of the day, after they've finished all their water and milk.

 

Like everyone else suggested, don't buy the junk and start with meals at home. I like Marisa's idea of muffins with veggies (pumpkin or zucchini are great), and then just a few choc chips on top! You could either serve that for breakfast, a snack for lunch, or dessert!

Making small changes will help reset their eating habits over time. I usually have a Tupperware of cup up veggies in my fridge that my girls like to eat with dip (humus, spinach-artichoke, or ranch), or just plain. It's also handy for packing school lunches because they just take from the veggies (peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, and tomatoes usually).

Also getting kids more into cooking is a great idea for getting them to try new things... my husband is so much more patient with my girls than I am, but I'm trying to be better about letting them help. I've also made up names for new foods to try to make them more appealing. They still call breaded and baked zucchini "pirate coins" and I think I made that one up when they were like 4!

Good luck!

 

Definitely don't buy it! You don't buy it, they can't have it.

Overall, my kids I think are great eaters. I will give them choices for breakfast and lunch. Dinner? All me. They don't have a choice. The only time they do is when I make stuffed shells, as nicholas will not eat it(along with manicotti, etc). And that's ok. He's tried a few times, he doesn't like it, I get it,

We do meatloaf, tacos, pork roasts, steaks, chicken, italian, they *love* Indian, etc etc. If I make something new-quinoa for instance, they have to try it. Veggies? Not the best. So they have to try at least one bite of it. It's a work in progress.

And if they are hungry after dinner, or in between, I really try to do fresh fruit of some sort, or yogurt.

 

I agree with everyone else:
 
We don't buy any food or snacks that we are not happy for the kids to eat, and DH and I don't have any treats that they are not allowed to share.
 
We have suitable snacks ready for them when they come home from school - fruit, veggie sticks, yoghurt, milk and cereal, rice cakes, a healthy cookie or muffin etc. Most kids really seem to be tired and hungry after school and need a substantial snack to tide them over until supper or they will start craving sugar andd fat, just like we do when we are tired and hungry.
 
They have to try one bite of any food at dinner, but a taste is enough, they do not even have to swallow it if they truly don't like it. This has expanded our range of foods a lot, for example to my great surprise they love curries, game meats and garlicy dishes.
 
Do your own baking. You can pack muffins or cakes with wholemeal flours, oatmeal, flax seeds, nuts, grated veggies and fruit etc. Healthy favourites to use as a snack or a school lunch here are carrot muffins, apple muffins or pizza muffins with peppers, corn, peas and cheese as well as zucchini or pumpkin bread.
 
Our kids also get an allowance of sweets, snacks and treats once a week which they keep in a little box next to the dining table and from which they may choose to snack if we don't have dessert. All small gifts of sweets like mini bags of gummibears go into this box as well (larger gifts go into my store) and the kids have to make sure their supply lasts for the week. If it is gone, they do not get a refill - unless maybe if they had friends over and shared generously -, but generally there is enough left and I do not have to refill the box each week.

 

This is a great idea! I'm going to steal it.

 

Over the weekend I just cleared out a drawer in the fridge for the boys that will be their snack drawer.. it was driving me crazy having to find snacks for them every 15 seconds, so now I will have allotted snacks for them for the day.. veggie sticks, turkey pepperoni, cucumbers, dip, etc.

 

i'm old school... they eat what I serve them, or they don't eat. 
 
and you need to be the example.  i genuinely love various veggie dishes, so the girls see me genuinely excited when i'm eating veggies.  i think because of this (along with my eat what i serve or don't eat) they eat almost every veggie out there, and are totally willing to try anything new i make.
 
if i'm making something i'm not sure they'll like, i let them help me cook it... they see what's going in it, i talk about why each ingredient is good for them, i act excited as we're putting it all together.  by lunch/dinner time, they're so excited to try "their creation".   i think it's important for kids to know WHY fruits, veggies, and healthy proteins are good for them.  they should know the benefits to their bodies, and the harm that junk food can do. 
 
you could also make them smoothies, and hide some veggies in there... carrots, apples and bananas sweeten them, and you really can't taste the spinach/kale in it.  yes, they can sometimes be a "gross" color, but call it something creative, and they might take interest in it.  or just pour it in a container where they can't SEE it, and you won't have to worry about the color turning them off lol