Picky eaters

Seems that from day one we have had issues with feeding. Trying not to make this too long, it started with bad acid reflux for the first year, then that led to not wanting to transition to solids. We got over that with a lot of feeding therapy – for both Gavin, DH and I. Then with Gavin’s growth issues we were instructed to feed whatever he wanted – whenever he wanted it. So now we are left with 2 - 3 1/2 year olds who are VERY picky. So my goal is to concentrate on turning this around. I am sick of making 3 different meals for dinner.

Please tell me tips and tricks if you have been able to successfully turn a picky eater around.

I do have Ellyn Satter’s book but have yet to find time to read it. Going to start working on that.

I don’t expect them to right off the bat love all sorts of different foods – and I am okay with if we are having spaghetti and one of them just wants noodles with no sauce or something like that. How can I get them to try something new?

Thank you!

 

I'm not the best person to give advice, because Sarah (at 6) is still one of the pickiest eaters I know, but around age 5 we started making them take at least one bite of something on the table that they wouldn't normally eat.

Ellyn Satter would probably be horrified at the "coercion," but I tried to follow her advice, and wound up with a child who will happily fill up on plain bread, plain pasta, plain rice, etc., and eat nothing else. I just can't let her live like that forever. So we say that if you want dessert (another no-no -- bribing :spiteful: ), you have to try just.one.bite of something else. It doesn't have to be something new, or something healthy -- just something you wouldn't normally choose.

So far, however, she hasn't chosen to like anything else. She'll eat it because we make her (and she doesn't fight us nearly as much about it anymore), but that's it. My next step, if something doesn't change soon, is to start giving her a small portion of what she likes, and not letting her have more until she eats a few bites of everything else on the table.