Did you ever disguise foods so your children would eat them?
I didn’t. And I didn’t waste my breath going “Oh, come on! Just try one little bite!” If I wanted my picky eater (my middle daughter) to try something new, I’d wait until she was really, REALLY hungry…and wait a little more, then put whatever in front of her. She’d be hungry enough to just scarf it down, no time for questions. She actually learned to like a lot of new foods that way.
Aden, my grandson, is a picky eater. I brought him and his sister, Brande, home from school today. They wanted food. I had made some cornbread yesterday, and used paper cupcake liner things to save on a mess. Well, I told them they could have some corn bread. Aden didn’t want any, so they got something else, don’t know what, and went outside.
A little later Brande came in….this was all her idea…she took creamy peanut butter and slathered it on a cornbread muffin. It looked exactly like a cup cake with frosting. Even more so when she put candy sugar sprinkles on it! She AND Aden both ate two! :) Brande and I giggled about it quite a bit!
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No. We did call them by different names. Broccoli became little trees. Brussel sprouts became Little Brains. I can’t remember what we called Godzilla, but we did.
Don’t have kids yet.
My parents never had to do this with me, I was always the kid looking to try something new. The more bizarre it was the more excited I was to try it. I think I had cow’s tongue for the first time at 12 or something :P
No, I just give them a plate with various foods on it, and they eat the part they want and leave the rest. They often choose to experiment. I take what is left and make salad or sandwich spread with it.
No. I think that causes more problems than it solves.
@cookieman’s rules for children and food:
one meal, one family
We never asked my daughter what she wanted or made something different for her each meal. We might say, “What are you in the mood for this week?” If she said “hot dogs”, we’d have those one night — but if we made salmon another night, then we’re all eating salmon.
try everything once
If you like it, great. You have something new to eat. If you don’t, that’s okay — now you “know” you don’t like it.
boycott kids menus
When eating out, let your kids order off the regular menu. Ask for half orders if you need to. This way they try a better variety of food, feel like a big kid ‘cause they’re eating what the adults eat, and avoid the crap they usually serve children (boxed mac & cheese, chicken nuggets).
when you’re full, stop eating
I don’t care how good broccoli is for you, I’m not gonna make you clean your plate before you can leave the table. That creates a bad relationship with food. Eating should not be a chore.
There’s more, but I’ll stop. ;^)
I don’t think we ever did disguise anything. Pretty much the only rule was “You have to try a bite or two”.
And even that one went out the window when our middle daughter developed a choking phobia and didn’t eat solid food at all for about a year. She was 7 – 8 years old at the time, and we had to work very hard to make sure that food didn’t become a never-ending battle in her life, even after she recovered. The really interesting thing is, she is now (at 17 years old) the one most likely to try odd foods (she ate whole baby squids!), and is the healthiest eater in the family.
No, they were usually hungry at meal times and just got on with it.
I wonder why kids have such an aversion to veggies? Not all do…my oldest would eat nothing BUT veggies if she could but overall “No broccli, no cauliflower, no green beans…..” What is up with that?
A friend of mine was bringing a veggie platter to a get together we were having. My oldest was about 8. I told my friend “Well, you might want to bring 2 because Jen will eat one all by herself.”
My friend didn’t believe me….and she only brought 1. I had to pull Jen away and tell her to go eat some cake or something! She just gave me a disgusted look. My friend was amazed.
Fortunately my daughter was never a particularly picky eater. We’re a very “foody” family, she was brought up visiting restaurants from an early age and she developed a healthy interest in trying new things. I don’t think there was ever anything she said she didn’t like without trying it first.
Odd thing though, she has a strange aversion to cake. As a toddler, the first time she had some it made her gag and 23 years later she still won’t eat anything that has a spongy texture.
The only way I can remember ‘hiding’ food was we would grate zuccini and put that into stews and things. They can’t taste it but it adds a few vitamins. My children weren’t bad eaters. We didn’t have to do much cajoling to get them to eat.
My dad used to hide our sausages under our mashed potato. Not because we didn’t like the food. It was a game. He was still doing it when I left home and I continued to pretend I couldn’t find my sausages. Cute.
My ex-husband’s mother was still hiding sprouts under his potatoes when he left home. He never ate them anyway.
My husband tries to play hide the sausage with me. lol I couldn’t help it.
lol@bkcunningham – don’t you like to play along? :D
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