If there were a "World's Pickiest Eater Contest" I'm positive my 4-year-old would win. You think you've got one that can beat her? Just try me. I can count on one hand that foods that she will eat on a consistent basis. One hand! Oh, and I'm excluding candy, ice cream and brownies. Graham crackers, cheese (but only certain varieties, mind you), carrots (but only 2 or 3 in one sitting), strawberries (sprinkled with sugar of course!) and cold cereal (preferably the sugariest, most unhealthy of the bunch).
I've had many friends recommend books to help with my dilemma, including The Sneaky Chef. That's the one where you mask certain foods that kids are most likely to reject by pureeing them and mixing them up in dishes that kids typically love. Except that mine doesn't. Love them, that is. Spaghetti for dinner - won't touch it. Macaroni and cheese - not a chance. Hot dogs - no way. Pizza - only if it's without sauce and toppings. Jello - forget about it. I once slaved over homemade whole-wheat tortillas so that I could make our quesadillas (one dish I can somewhat count on her eating) a bit healthier. She nibbled a bit off the edge before turning up her nose. Next time I was smarter - I used half wheat and half white flour. Even that was too renegade for her tiny taste buds.
I've read a lot on the subject, and recently read an article I found interesting, which places the blame mostly on genetics and confirmed to me that she fits into a small percentage of children who reject food based on appearance alone. I'm at my wit's end. We spent a few months letting her spread a bit of butter on a slice of bread if she didn't like anything at the table before realizing that she would never try anything if she knew that she had a fallback plan. So now she starves every night. And she's okay with that. To me, food should not be a battleground issue, so I'm just laying low until she decides to try out the delectable dishes I serve up every night (ha!).
You see, Lily doesn't even like the words "lunch" or "dinner" because they inevitably signify foods that she will have nothing to do with. But when I mention having a snack, she'll come running to the table with glee.
Now that I've given the background (perhaps way too much), let me announce that I've found the most wonderful snacks at Costco. Freeze-dried fruit. They come in a box with 24 individual packages of pears, apples, bananas and strawberries. Lily eats them like candy. Only one drawback: they break the bank. Tim examined my Costco receipt the other day and discovered how much I've been spending on this particular luxury since, oh, last October and was shocked. I argued, "It's pretty much the only fruit I can get her to eat! And there's no added sugar!" He retorted, "I think my parents sacrificed our health for their budget and we can do the same." This is where being the one who buys the groceries comes in real handy. The freeze-dried fruit is here to stay.
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6 comments:
Yeah, I hear you on this one. It's frustrating trying to cook when your kids won't eat anything you make. Maybe someday they will appreciate our cooking.
Too funny. Channing hates fruit too, always has! We have an awesome juicer that I use often and of course, he'll drink the juice! :) So at least he's getting fruit and veges that way. It's hard when they don't eat what you give them!
Wow I've never had an eater like that.
Although Sister is thinks she could subsist off sugar. So when she doesn't eat her meal, she gets no snacks. And then she tells me that she is starving to death. But when dinner comes. . . hmmm. . . not hungry again! I'm saving tons of money not buying snack food for her anymore. Maybe I should send it to you for your freeze dried fruit!!! :)
Smidget rivals her, I think. Did you ever check out the book, Child of Mine. I really liked the philosophies in there about food and how to go about teaching a picky eater to eat. It has been a SLOW process, but Smidget has gradually added a few things to her repertoire.
Just recently she started eating bread (at 3 years old!!) so we now can have bagels, pieces of bread (plain only, not sandwich) and rolls for her. She will eat fruit, for the most part, but that is pretty much the extent. Gogurt and string cheese on occasion.
Anyway, see if you can get that book at the library. It really helped me to just chill out about it all and to have confidence in doing, basically, what you're doing. Offering it at the dinner table, then closing the kitchen until breakfast. Of course, there is much more to it, you'll have to read it in all of the spare time I'm sure you have. :) It's quick to thumb through and get the gist.
Thanks Polliwog, I'll be sure to check it out. Heaven knows, I need all the help I can get.
Jane and I love the dried fruit as well, but I have had to give them up. boo hoo. Maybe one day I will learn how to dry my own!
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