My boys have become picky eaters this summer. Ryan's kinda been a picky eater all along, but Tim would normally eat whatever you put in front of him (except eggs and cheese... he spits them out).
I've been reading online about picky eaters. I'm not sure I agree with sneaking healthy foods (like fruits and veggies) into foods for kids. I'm not sure that's teaching them the importance of eating healthy, especially when they get their broccoli or squash from brownies and breakfast cookies.
I'll be the first to admit it took a long time to like all the veggies that I do enjoy eating (I've been known to eat cookies, cake and brownies for breakfast and have had to stop this now that I have an example to set). There are few I refuse to eat, but I wonder if that is because mum always gave us veggies and we were required to eat them. I can recall only eating the tops of the broccoli and not eating asparagus, but these days I love my veggies... more than I love fruit.
Now, little Tim will eat any fruit... many more than Ryan will eat. I've begun to wonder if that's because we mainly fed Ryan bananas and apples when he was a baby. Those are by far his favs, though he loves blueberries, grapes and recently has started eating strawberries. Tim only likes corn and peas for veggies and spits out green beans and the rest, though he'll usually eat one or two and then decide that's not what he wants to eat. I think I can win him over.
But with summer being here, it's so hot to cook and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for healthy summer meals for us and how to work with my picky eaters? HELP!
3 comments:
At least for Ryan, the magazines suggest making fun characters out of fruits and veggies, a smiley face, a butterfly, a caterpillar, etc. It doesn't sound quick and easy. Maybe if the boys help pick out and prepare the food they'll be more likely to try it.
You know, I never tried the funny face thing... maybe I'll give it a try. Ryan does help cook... he LOVES cooking. That's how he's got himself into a rut with eggs for breakfast. He loves to cook them and then eat them.
I probably do it wrong... But... I really just don't stress over it much. I put out what we're eating. They eat it or they don't. If they don't eat a good meal they generally don't get a treat afterwards, and though I'm terrible about it often, I try not to give too many snacks when they're being persnickety at mealtimes.
When I was growing up we had HUGE battles over me eating my vegetables. I'm convinced I'm one of the 'super-tasters' that all the new gene studies are finding out about when it comes to vegetables. But the stress it caused in our house Every. Single. Dinner from the time I was tiny to... not at all tiny was ridiculous, and I'm convinced part of the reason I don't like vegetable still today.
So that's my 15 cents worth.
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