Raise your hand if you’re a mom of picky eaters 🙋🏻‍♀️

When my kids were babies, I mushed up everything, poured it into the ice cube tray to be heated up later and made sure those infants heading towards toddlerhood were getting a well balanced meal.

My 9 year old has always been great with fruits and veggies. He has remained pretty consistent when it comes to meat: a burger patty (no bun) or chicken nugget. My 6 year old used to eat every type of food and sauce, including half a dozen baked clams one Christmas Eve when she was almost 2. I’m not sure when the switch happened but it happened in a flash.

I can easily make a list of the foods each child will eat, because it’s not that long. I try to make sure they’re getting calcium, protein and vitamins but I’m not always successful. I try to change things up like giving them a crunchy lunchy (I don’t think I’ve done a blog on this…maybe just an Instagram post…I’ll work on that).

Trying new foods is a tricky business. If you’ve read this blog before, you know that I’m very aware of how sensory integration is playing a part in whatever we do. At home, I will give them new foods to try, on a plate with food I know they like. I don’t do it constantly, I try foods more than once and see if I can get them to nibble something they never have before. When I say nibble, that’s usually what it ends up being…a nibble.

I do not have them try new foods at a family member’s house, a friend’s house, on vacation, in school or in any other location outside the home. That is not to say they can’t or that I don’t ask if they want to. Of course they’re allowed and of course we offer. In a new or unfamiliar place there are different sounds, different crowds, different lighting, different smells, more pressure from other people watching and the list goes on. If they’re already picky eaters or hesitant about trying something new, this is probably not where we’re having a breakthrough. However, they have been known to try new things on their own in Disney World. It’s probably the pixie dust they sprinkle in the food.

They bring their lunch to school everyday but also have money on their card in case they want to try something from the cafeteria. They know that if we’re at a restaurant, at someone else’s house or on vacation they can try something new or what is being served. They also know that their options may be limited but that we’ll typically be able to find something for them. And as long as they eat SOMEthing in these locations, it’s a win.

When in doubt: having healthy snacks on hand is always helpful.

Will they come around to different foods as the years are on? Maybe. Will it not happen until they’re an adult? Possibly. What we don’t want is for them to feel forced or feel uncomfortable when it comes to food.