You Can't Please Every(little)one: Dealing with Picky Eaters

The other day I was meal planning and telling my friend about this Creamy Ravioli Soup recipe I'd found on Pinterst.  "The kids are going to eat that?! LOL" was his reply.  A valid question which sent me into a near rage all the same.  "Do they eat ANYTHING?!"  I snapped back.  That morning I had woken up to a nearly whole, perfectly good chocolate chip cookie in the trash.  A couple of weeks before that my son cried (like actual tears) because I told him to take a cinnamon roll for breakfast.  

My child is literally the pickiest eater ever, and sometimes trying to feed him can be beyond frustrating. 

I actually used to really enjoy cooking, trying out new recipes and cuisines.  I still do, however now my primary mealtime concern is somewhere along the lines of Can we make it through this dish without this kid fake gagging, crying or both?  Add that dilemma to the end of a stressful work day and a plethora of other daily struggles and it's easy to see how so many parents turn to a routine of swinging through the drive-thru on the way home.  It's just soooo much easier.

Literally #SOML

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I didn't become a parent because it was the easy thing to do though, and I know enough to know that despite whatever complaints or warped kid-logic bargaining I get from the mini-me, he yet doesn't know what's best for himself and building a routine of fast food everyday is only setting him up for failure in the long run.  Do I fault parents who do this?  Hell no, because I can totally see how/why they do.  Do I think they're lazy?  Not really, no, because I understand their frustration and that they likely have a ton of other things on their proverbial plates.  Am I saying that I never take the easy way out?  Not at all.  I just put forward the effort not to make that the norm.  Family dinners with real food is an important part of growing up healthy in so many ways. 

As a mother of one picky tiny person, I've had to take take time learning methods and creating solutions to this obstacle then for the greater good.  Are they always a success?  Nope! (refer to the earlier cookie incident)  But do I stop trying? Nope again.  And every so often I am rewarded with the pleasure of finding a true winner.  A new dinnertime hit.  Go Mom!

Here are a couple of little trick that I've tried and that have actually helped take some of the stress out of mealtimes:

1) Put that kid to work.  I've learned that my son is (slightly) less likely to pitch a fit or reject a meal that he helped me prepare.  I think part of this is that he appreciates the effort more and feels a sense of pride in his cooking accomplishment.  But I also think it's mostly that involving him in the cooking process allows him to see, and even give input as to what ends up on his plate.  Removing some of the mystery for him seems to put him more at ease when it comes time to ingest the finished product which may not always resemble the ingredients that went into it.  

2) Hide the veggies.  Actually hide anything that doesn't look like a chicken nugget or slice of pizza.  One of the biggest deterrents I found for my son, was that he usually made up his mind about a dish based solely on how it looked.  Whereas I appreciate bold flavors and variety, he is the polar opposite.  Foods that have too much going on freak him out.  By keeping the appearance simple he's usually much more cooperative.  If I add in some veggies finely chopped or otherwise prepared so that the slide in under his radar is the best way to go.  (Surprisingly, green smoothies were a winner here.  "Superhero" green but otherwise indistinguishable in their healthful content, with banana and honey PB to had just enough sweetness.) 

3) Model good eating habits.  My kid is most likely to eat good foods when he sees me eating and enjoying them.  Even though he's a picky little guy, some of his favorite foods include clams (all seafood really), yogurt, salad (As long as I keep it simple.  Like, romaine and salad dressing simple.), and beans.  That's because these aren't food I've tried to get him to eat.  They're just food that I eat, love, and don't necessarily want to share.  Yet, by taking the pressure off to eat certain things, it has embolden him to try some new things and judge for himself.

4) Suck it up.  Realize that sometimes no matter what you make, the kid is going to hate it.  Even when it's a dish that they've had a bazillion times, they're still prone to saying no way, Jose.  And that's okay.  Just take a deep breath, and keep calm.  Don't make it into a power struggle.  Just let it go.  One thing I've learned is that children are not going to starve themselves when food is available.  I know it may seem cruel or mean, but it's not.  It's in the best interest of saving your own sanity.   When the kid gets hungry enough he'll eat; when he's not, he'll play.