Family Life

5 ways to encourage a picky eater

creative food

When it comes to food, dinner, and basically all other meals, my little girl is a fuss pot. I remember when she was a little bubba, all the baby books told me to give her a variety of foods, and have her try everything before age one. I did it. I did what everyone at the time told me to do. I am now doing it again with my son, because, well I want him to try new things.

What no one told me is that it does not guarantee a good eater two years later. No guarantee at all.

She is fussy. She is a simple eater. And even the most simple of foods is a challenge at times. If she could, potatoes would be her staple in life, along with sausages and tomato sauce.

I have bought sandwich cutters to make fancy shapes, I have made faces on her plate, and potatoes are known to be ‘hair’. Being creative and imaginative with food seems to be the answer.

I am over at The Shake today giving some more fancy ideas on how to encourage a fussy eater to eat.

But tell me, do you have any ideas? This Mumma would love to know ! 

Linking up with Essentially Jess

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Photobucket

{image found at The Little Bento Shop}

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  • http://mummyheartsmoney.blogspot.com Elise @mummy hearts money

    We had the same problem with Miss now 12. You are doing everything right, we used all the same tricks, and while they seem to have worked for Miss 2 who will eat anything, Miss 12 has a far simpler palate still. These days she accepts that she needs to make a decent meal each night and will eat most of what I put in front of her as long as I keep it simple. Spicy or very flavoursome foods she will still ignore, but will each a large bowl of boiled rice to compensate if she ignores a curry (example). Bear with it!

  • http://www.jfgibson.com.au/ Jodi Gibson

    Our girls all used to be good eaters as babies, then they went through a period of fussiness. I think it’s fairly normal and they grow out of it. Can be trying though sometimes indeed!

  • http://www.laughsideasinspiration.com Alex aka WHOA MUMMA!

    My oldest daughter was the most annoying picky eater. Still is now that she’s 13. If she could she’d live off white food. White bread, rice, potatoes. Nothing spicy, nothing out of the ordinary. She has added avocado, sushi, salmon and steak to the mix though. I give her vitamins.

  • http://emhawker.blogspot.com Emily

    My daughter isn’t picky, so I haven’t had to worry about it yet. But I spent my entire teen years eating pasta (no sauce), rice (no sauce), bread (no topping) and potatoes. I just wasn’t interested in anything else. And all good. I grew out of it. My body started talking to me and telling me I wanted things.

    Probably not useful in the earlier stages, but all I can suggest is to keep offering and eventually it may – might – perhaps – eventually get eaten?

    Good luck!

  • http://www.twitchycorner.com Twitchy

    I couldn’t get my kids to eat any cooked greens for the longest time (still hit and miss and mostly left on the plate) but in the meantime I discovered the boon that is frozen peas. Both kids will eat frozen peas straight out of a cup, and it was perfect for teething.

    (Also beneficial for ‘helium balloon’ goldfish [constipation from over-eating], Google recently told me. Just mash a small amount out of the skin and feed. It works!) Frozen peas are a natural wonder for children and goldfish alike ;)

    • http://www.twitchycorner.com Twitchy

      OOps #teamIBOT

  • http://www.bachelormum.com kim

    oooh that’s a tough one – my poppet is fussy but only with some foods especially things like crumbed chicken, sausages etc – i made some viking crumbed chicken for her once – i burnt it – i still thought it’d be ok but she was sick that night – i really don’t know if it was my cooking or the chicken but anything that remotely has fat on it, nup, won’t go for it. She’ll eat her broccoli though so i shouldn’t complain :-)

  • http://teapotsandtractors.com Annaleis from Teapots and Tractors

    Little Bento Blog has wonderful ideas! Just like the picture you have there. Make food more interesting and keep on offering even when they turn their noses up.

  • http://havealaughonme.wordpress.com Emily @ Have a laugh on me

    You know I tried for YEARS to make different, creative things and truly I was creating a rod for my own back. I wish I had just made her eat what we eat, even if it was just a bit of it. Looking back I was just encouraging her fussiness but making her separate meals. I’ve become smarter with No.3 (No.2 not so much). He eats what we eat or starves, and No.2 is getting the message, we’re still working on No.3. But if she’s hungry she’ll eat.