HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

My 2.5 year old is SO picky. He did have some feeding delays (sensory issues) so I feel like we missed key months to get him to really eat lots of different foods without "knowing better" - the exploritory phase.

He loves fruit, dairy, carbs but will not touch veggies and most meats.

For instance, I made meatloaf the other night and some tator tots for him. He LOVES tator tots but refused to touch them since there was "meatballs" aka meatloaf on his plate. There was a donut on the line for dessert - his favorite but he opted not to eat anything for dinner and happily went along his way without the donut either.

I feel like we are getting to a point where we can communicate that mommy and daddy wouldn't give him anything icky (going with foods I KNOW he would like if he would only TRY them to begin with) but he just refuses. He listens and I can see him contimplating trying but he wont. I used to offer options but I am done with that.

Is it just a waiting game at this point? Do we keep being persistant - one option and if he doesn't eat - bed with no food/dessert?

How do you overcome this?

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

also - "dipping" doesnt help. He loves ketchup but that is not incentive enough to try new foods.

If there is a food on his plate that he doesn't want he will throw a tantrum and not touch anything else until we remove it

HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

No advice because my DD is the same way. She will not eat most veggies and meats.

The only meat she will eat is grilled chicken, chicken nuggets, turkey meatballs, and turkey lunch meat.

I gave up on the veggies and give her the pouches.

She is a much better eater at daycare.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

If I pretend to enjoy what I eat, DD will most definetly ask for a taste! Also, I just keep putting it front of her, never know when she'll take a bite

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

Posted by buttercup

If I pretend to enjoy what I eat, DD will most definetly ask for a taste! Also, I just keep putting it front of her, never know when she'll take a bite

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

Yep. I think it's normal behavior. At least I HOPE so.

Mine will eat one day & not the next.

He overall is at a healthy weight... so I'm happy.

We don't have dessert... so he's getting his calories from something good.

We don't do "buffet"... so if he doesn't eat one meal, he eats more at the next (but we make things he usually likes).

He loves mashed potato, meatballs (only whole... don't cut them or he won't eat them), chicken breast sliced thin, fruits (sliced thin), tomatoes (only BIG pieces).. and so on.

He likes to separate his soup components and drink the juice separate.

My new trick is to give him jars of baby food (we also have a 11 month old) and have them be healthy stuff he doesn't eat... like green beans. He eats it happily in that form and asks for more.

Last night, he had a nice sized piece of tuna and green beans (jarred)... but also the middle third of REAL green beans we cooked. He discarded the other thirds on top of the table.

My 11 month old refuses to eat any jarred meat I think we've got another contender!

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

Posted by maymama

Posted by buttercup

If I pretend to enjoy what I eat, DD will most definetly ask for a taste! Also, I just keep putting it front of her, never know when she'll take a bite

we try this. i eat next to him and say "Jack, this is yummy, want a bite?!" And he says "no mama, i eating MY food" - aka whatever is on his plate that he does like.

he is SO stubborn. he likes toast and cheese but refuses grilled cheese.

he LOVES chicken nuggets (he will say they are his favorite) but wont eat chicken tenders, grilled chicken, chicken breast etc.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

No real advice because my dd is the same way but I would stick with the no snack rule. While it doesn't alway work it does work sometimes with my dd. I make her atleast try everything. Sometimes she will try things and like it sometimes she will try things and gag.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

thanks for the ideas - maybe i will try some pouches again since he loves using straws. Maybe if he can "suck" it out, he will eat it.

also, ill try to have him help me make dinner

i feel like maybe we rush him or he feels rushed but most nights, he sits at the table for 30-40 mins. He eventually asks me to feed him and then he will eat (the foods he likes). Maybe he is just distracted.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

I try and say it's like or the same as something I know she already likes to get her to try it. Sometimes she does and likes it, sometimes she gags For example she LOVEs Elmo noodles (the soup from Earths's best), so any pasta I say is Elmo noodles and she gobbles them down. If I just said pasta she would very politely hand it to me or fling it off her plate.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

I either:

Lie and call it something else. Meatloaf = chicken nuggets? That sort of thing

OR

what works more often...

I say, "Oh u better not eat this....it's Daddy's dinner. Don't eat it." So they eat it.



Some nights I just give up and give applesauce.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

Posted by skinny

I either:

Lie and call it something else. Meatloaf = chicken nuggets? That sort of thing

OR

what works more often...

I say, "Oh u better not eat this....it's Daddy's dinner. Don't eat it." So they eat it.



Some nights I just give up and give applesauce.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

I have tried it all and my kid is just stubborn.

FINALLY at 4 1/2, he is trying new things. But we've had to bribe him. He'll get a surprise (small and sometimes by surprise- a treat).

In the past we've tried this and he would scream and cry. he'd also gag on purpose and not eat it.

FINALLY now he will try stuff without a huge fight. I got him to eat broccoli for the first time the other night. Keilbasa one night. Fish sticks one night. And i don't mean one tiny little piece either. He has to eat a good amount to get the treat.

So... i know how you all feel but just know that down the road it will get better. just slowly!

Message edited 12/11/2012 8:41:48 PM.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

thanks all. never thought my offspring would be so resistant to food

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

Put foods on a sectioned plate that DC does like saving a compartment for a new food. Only put a small portion on it. Like 1 or 2 pieces. My DS has to chew and swallow it and then he gets praise. However, if your DC has known sensory issues maybe try licking it first or even smelling/touching it and build up to putting it in his mouth. Its so important that even if a food is initially rejected to not give up. Keep presenting it in very small amounts, sometimes a taste is aquired, you know? Dont call attention to it if he does not eat it, but praise like crazy if he does (or whatever the goal is). But keep trying. Many people get trained to only give DC what they know will be eaten and stear clear of things that are ify or things that DC rejected. DC is aloud to have likes/dislikes, but give it a good try a few times before you dismiss it, afterall, how can you not like something unless you taste it? Does DC still have feeding issues?

I know this is crazy, but even calling something by a different name helps too. DS does not like white potatoes. I wanted to try sweet potato but it was a potato and calling it such met with instant rejection. So instead we call it candied yam (even though its baked with butter) and low and behold he eats it. He still only gets a little bit with dinner cause hes still if-y on it, but we go nuts with praise when he chews and swallows it. Then he gets all proud of himself and eats more saying "mommy look! Look what Im eating! Yum"

DO NOT REACT IF HE GAGS

Message edited 12/11/2012 9:45:41 PM.

Re: HOW do you get your toddlers to try new foods?

No real advice I'm just happy to see that I'm not alone! My son is painfully picky. These past few weeks he's gotten a little better, but still really tough to get to eat most times. I've noticed he eats better when he sees his friends or other kids eating. He's also all about "presentation". He refused to eat pasta, then I tried bowtie pasta, called it butterfly pasta and he gobbled it up. He refuses to eat spoonable yogurt, but would eat GoGurts all day!