Picky Eater Kids

katiekessler123

I agree with the original poster.  This drives me nuts!  My family had a rule that you had to at least try the food being served for dinner.  If you did not like it, YOU could make a PBJ sandwich.  But the rule was we had to make it, not our parents.   I studied abroad in Rome in college, in one of my roommates was a "picky eater", meaning she pretty much wouldn't eat anything but McDonalds.  I couldn't believe it!  I kept my mouth shut, but it was hard for me to understand why she would eat food made of chemicals and God even knows what else, but wouldn't eat any of the other incredible food available to us in Italy! I don't think I saw her eat even one fruit or veggie the whole time we were there!  As an adult, it just seems like you need to understand, eat healthy foods, or be overweight with a ton of health problems!

theartistformerlyknownas

katiekessler123 said:

I agree with the original poster.  This drives me nuts!  My family had a rule that you had to at least try the food being served for dinner.  If you did not like it, YOU could make a PBJ sandwich.  But the rule was we had to make it, not our parents.   I studied abroad in Rome in college, in one of my roommates was a "picky eater", meaning she pretty much wouldn't eat anything but McDonalds.  I couldn't believe it!  I kept my mouth shut, but it was hard for me to understand why she would eat food made of chemicals and God even knows what else, but wouldn't eat any of the other incredible food available to us in Italy! I don't think I saw her eat even one fruit or veggie the whole time we were there!  As an adult, it just seems like you need to understand, eat healthy foods, or be overweight with a ton of health problems!

Yeah we were allowed to get a bowl of cereal (which was always things like Kix and Cheerios, Mom didn't buy sugary cereal) if we refused to eat dinner. But she wasn't making us anything different.

We were also pretty involved in picking the vegetable and making the salad, and I think that helped a lot. I still refused to touch a lot of green vegetables because my dad didn't eat them, and she didn't make me try them. She still served a lot of corn and raw green beans that I would eat though. 

danamw

Don't turn meals into a battleground. That will make it worse. Encourage the kid to try new things, but don't give ultimatums or make the kid stay at the table until the plate is cleaned.

I was a hellish eater when I was a kid, I had a thing where I didn't like certain textures or feelings in my mouth. I outgrew it, and one of the things my mom did right was not make an issue of it. Oh yes, she got frustrated, but she didn't punish me unduly.

princessgracekelly

katiekessler123 said:

I agree with the original poster.  This drives me nuts!  My family had a rule that you had to at least try the food being served for dinner.  If you did not like it, YOU could make a PBJ sandwich.  But the rule was we had to make it, not our parents.   I studied abroad in Rome in college, in one of my roommates was a "picky eater", meaning she pretty much wouldn't eat anything but McDonalds.  I couldn't believe it!  I kept my mouth shut, but it was hard for me to understand why she would eat food made of chemicals and God even knows what else, but wouldn't eat any of the other incredible food available to us in Italy! I don't think I saw her eat even one fruit or veggie the whole time we were there!  As an adult, it just seems like you need to understand, eat healthy foods, or be overweight with a ton of health problems!

All foods are made of chemicals, scientifically speaking.

But I remember being similarly frustrated with a picky-eating acquaintance whose father was a pilot. Like, this dude got to travel the world and yet would only eat plain pasta or McDonald's in each country. Meanwhile, I, a very adventurous eater, couldn't afford to leave the state most of the time, let alone the country. His gripes about how international foods didn't accommodate him were the first-world-iest of gripes.

katiekessler123

Yes, I agree gracekelly, but I think you understand my point about McDonalds being questionable.

princessgracekelly

Definitely, it's just a pet peeve of mine when people say "chemicals" by themselves are bad. Artificial chemicals, yes, and McDonald's certainly has those (their whole shtick is that their food has to taste the same all over the world--there is no way you can get that through natural, healthy means).

lovegood90

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

princessgracekelly

lovegood90 said:

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

Do you ever just hear or read the three or four things a picky eater does eat and think that's more gross than all the foods they're not eating? Like I'm imagining this lady eating poutine and a corn dog together for a meal and I just

penguin44

My brother has a friend that only eats bread, chicken nuggets, and cheese quesadillas made with american cheese. He's a teenager. Whenever he is at my parents house, miraculously he will try a bunch of different things. He has tried different fruits and vegetables and liked them all of the sudden.

Growing up, my aunt used to tell my cousins that they didn't like certain things, like seafood and vegetables, even when they had never tried them before. They only eat pasta, bread, popcorn, and chips. Oh I guess and things like McDonalds. I remember as a kid wondering why they didn't have to try the broccoli casserole or whatever but I did.

My parents also had the rule of trying everything on your plate, but we could have cereal or pbj when we didn't like everything.

My friend's daughter "only" eats fruits and things with cheese (grilled cheese). She is already enforcing these habbits, and her daughter is only 14 months. She can't even say she doesn't like these things! At least make her try the pizza with one topping instead of only giving her the cheese pizza.

KatieinBkln

princessgracekelly said:

lovegood90 said:

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

Do you ever just hear or read the three or four things a picky eater does eat and think that's more gross than all the foods they're not eating? Like I'm imagining this lady eating poutine and a corn dog together for a meal and I just

Yikes. 

Be warned, parents who cave to your picky toddlers! You could raise them into teens who are an embarrassment.

Seriously though, if I were 15 or 20 or 30 and couldn't go out to dinner with friends without having to have 3 specific foods, I would be SO EMBARRASSED that I'd shove other stuff in my pie-hole and deal with it just because the alternative would be too embarrassing to contemplate. Like, really? A grown (or mostly grown) person who can't just sit at a friend's place and eat what they're served? That is a failure at human-ing.

theartistformerlyknownas

princessgracekelly said:

lovegood90 said:

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

Do you ever just hear or read the three or four things a picky eater does eat and think that's more gross than all the foods they're not eating? Like I'm imagining this lady eating poutine and a corn dog together for a meal and I just

Yeah I like hot dogs, but I can't imagine eating one two days in a row, let alone every day. Barf.

lyndausvi

KatieinBkln said:

princessgracekelly said:

lovegood90 said:

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

Do you ever just hear or read the three or four things a picky eater does eat and think that's more gross than all the foods they're not eating? Like I'm imagining this lady eating poutine and a corn dog together for a meal and I just

Yikes. 

Be warned, parents who cave to your picky toddlers! You could raise them into teens who are an embarrassment.

Seriously though, if I were 15 or 20 or 30 and couldn't go out to dinner with friends without having to have 3 specific foods, I would be SO EMBARRASSED that I'd shove other stuff in my pie-hole and deal with it just because the alternative would be too embarrassing to contemplate. Like, really? A grown (or mostly grown) person who can't just sit at a friend's place and eat what they're served? That is a failure at human-ing.

Yep.

I want I like to call a plain eater.   I do not like spicy foods.   The smell certain spices like curry make me nauseous.  I'm not a fan of meat/seafood that looks like a body part.   I.e.   Chicken leg- gross.  Chicken breast - fine.   Lobster tail in front of me - gross.   Lobster bisque I will eat. Yes, I know it makes no sense, but the visual makes me feel sick. 

That all said, if I'm at someone's home for dinner I eat what is put in front of me.  We are often given special dishes by chefs when we eat out.  I eat those too.

Sometimes I even like what is put in front of me.  But RARELY will I order that food on my own.  

When I go out and order from a menu I pretty much stick to some basics.    I've NEVER eaten at a place I couldn't find something to eat.  Ever.   

 Even the Indian/Nepal place DH loves I can find something.  Now I'm nauseous for the first 30-45 from the smell of curry, but I can find something to eat that is on the plain side.

falsara

I grew up in the try everything household. I will eat most anything, though there are some texture things I don't like. Sushi, and yogurt textures weird me out, but I do try them every once in a while just to check that I still do not like them.

My parents used to joke that I had hollow legs though because I always had a good apetite and a fast metabolism. I was constantly hungry. We always had different foods in my house especially once we moved overseas. We never had junk though. No candy, no chips unless they were plain tortilla and salsa. She would buy 1 box of sugar cereal a month. When it was gone you didn't get another box till the next month. Everyone in my house ate the same meal, and since my mom is a Type 1 diabetic those meals were always healthy. I still do not like most fast food places. I'd rather make eXtra dinner and pack left overs for lunch.

FI will eat basically anything I make him, which is nice since I do love to cook. His mom doesn't cook, and since she had gastrointestinal surgery several years ago she eats like a bird. She will eat all the tipping off her slice of pizza and then try to get somebody else to finish what's left. FFIL cooked before he got really sick but I think it was moly pancakes or bbq.

littlepep

My sister was SUCH a picky eater, but I've always been with the "you have to at least TRY it" crowd. I made her try so many things that she ended up loving. Once she realized that I was right about her probably liking something, she came to trust me. She even came to me a year ago and was like I want to try sushi, but I need you to tell me what I will like.

You can't know you don't like it unless you try it once right? 

SmileDamnit

Meh. I don't have a kid yet so I haven't a clue how I'll actually react if/when faced with a picky eater, but generally in life, I'm a "pick your battle" kinda gal. I hope that eating isn't a huge issue with the Bean...well, cuz I love to eat and that would make me sad. But, if it is, then I also hope that I'm able to find a nice middle ground that will ensure (first & foremost) that the kid is getting the nutrients she needs while also introducing her to a variety of tastes.  Perhaps a bit Pollyanna in thought, but I'm sticking to it.

plainjane0415

 

princessgracekelly said:

lovegood90 said:

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

Do you ever just hear or read the three or four things a picky eater does eat and think that's more gross than all the foods they're not eating? Like I'm imagining this lady eating poutine and a corn dog together for a meal and I just

Yes, I do this all the time!

hellosweetie1015

This is going to sound crazy - but I think a lot of pickiness comes from both how Mommy Dearest ate while you were cooking, and then how she chose to feed you (and what she ate while she was feeding you). 

My mom, when I was not-yet-born, ate super carefully. She didn't eat a lot of spicy, she didn't eat a lot of super flavorful things, she ate really boring stuff. And then, when I popped into the world, I was a bottle baby and so I only tasted formula. First baby, trying to do "all the things right". I was INSANELY picky as a kid, and I'm still likely to pick things I know I like over things I haven't ever had. I had to try things, but I learned pretty early on how to make a sandwich or oatmeal. (Which I love. Unlike the PP who hates it.)

My middle siblings, on the other hand, are not picky. My brother has an issue with cheese/milk/dairy (texture issue, I think), and my middle sister will literally eat anything. My mom was not nearly as cautious about her eating when she was pregnant with them (although she still was careful) and they were breastfed not bottlefed, so even after they came out, they got to have a more diverse number of tastes. 

The anomaly is my baby sister, who hates all things except chicken fingers and steak. She is 18. Not sure why she is picky, except to be contrary.

I have a friend with whom I went to high school. I met him in junior year. Every day except Pizza Day, he ate a microwaved hot dog for lunch. It made me absolutely sick haha. 

littlemushroom

hellosweetie1015 said:

This is going to sound crazy - but I think a lot of pickiness comes from both how Mommy Dearest ate while you were cooking, and then how she chose to feed you (and what she ate while she was feeding you). 

My mom, when I was not-yet-born, ate super carefully. She didn't eat a lot of spicy, she didn't eat a lot of super flavorful things, she ate really boring stuff. And then, when I popped into the world, I was a bottle baby and so I only tasted formula. First baby, trying to do "all the things right". I was INSANELY picky as a kid, and I'm still likely to pick things I know I like over things I haven't ever had. I had to try things, but I learned pretty early on how to make a sandwich or oatmeal. (Which I love. Unlike the PP who hates it.)

My middle siblings, on the other hand, are not picky. My brother has an issue with cheese/milk/dairy (texture issue, I think), and my middle sister will literally eat anything. My mom was not nearly as cautious about her eating when she was pregnant with them (although she still was careful) and they were breastfed not bottlefed, so even after they came out, they got to have a more diverse number of tastes. 

The anomaly is my baby sister, who hates all things except chicken fingers and steak. She is 18. Not sure why she is picky, except to be contrary.

I have a friend with whom I went to high school. I met him in junior year. Every day except Pizza Day, he ate a microwaved hot dog for lunch. It made me absolutely sick haha. 

I have the opposite experience. My mom is a super picky eater and always has been. I was bottle fed from the start because I refused to breastfeed. I am a super adventurous eater and always have been. My sister, also a bottle baby, is one of the pickiest eaters I have ever met. Growing up all she would eat are hot dogs and pb&j.

I have no explanation how the two of us who were raised the exact same way turned out to be such different eaters. My husband and I are both super adventurous eaters. I am convinced if we ever have kids that they will end up being the pickiest eaters on the planet.

wandajune6

This just makes me laugh because so many of the "safe" foods I won't touch! Applesauce, yogurt, hot dogs, etc. Blech.

I was the kid who would eat the veggies and pasta but fight over eating more than a bite or two of my pork chop. DH thinks I'm a picky eater because I won't eat things like intestine, skin, or tongue (very common things in traditional Mexican cooking) but I still thinking I'm pretty open-minded.

theartistformerlyknownas

hellosweetie1015 said:

This is going to sound crazy - but I think a lot of pickiness comes from both how Mommy Dearest ate while you were cooking, and then how she chose to feed you (and what she ate while she was feeding you). 

My mom, when I was not-yet-born, ate super carefully. She didn't eat a lot of spicy, she didn't eat a lot of super flavorful things, she ate really boring stuff. And then, when I popped into the world, I was a bottle baby and so I only tasted formula. First baby, trying to do "all the things right". I was INSANELY picky as a kid, and I'm still likely to pick things I know I like over things I haven't ever had. I had to try things, but I learned pretty early on how to make a sandwich or oatmeal. (Which I love. Unlike the PP who hates it.)

My middle siblings, on the other hand, are not picky. My brother has an issue with cheese/milk/dairy (texture issue, I think), and my middle sister will literally eat anything. My mom was not nearly as cautious about her eating when she was pregnant with them (although she still was careful) and they were breastfed not bottlefed, so even after they came out, they got to have a more diverse number of tastes. 

The anomaly is my baby sister, who hates all things except chicken fingers and steak. She is 18. Not sure why she is picky, except to be contrary.

I have a friend with whom I went to high school. I met him in junior year. Every day except Pizza Day, he ate a microwaved hot dog for lunch. It made me absolutely sick haha. 

Sounds legit. My mom ate tacos every day when she was pregnant with me.

redoryx

Man, I have NO idea what my mom ate when she was preggo with me and my sister. All I do know is she didn't drink a lot of milk with my sister (who is younger) but she did with me and she's convinced that's why my sister has horrible teeth while mine are awesome. (I only ever needed braces. My sister had cavities and crowns from a very early age and still has had teeth issues as an adult) 

Calcium, yo.

arrippa

My brother and I are not really picky eaters. We ate pretty much everything. However, the food I did hate as a kid (corn not on the cob, asparagus, shrimp and hot dogs) I still hate. I think it's so ingrained in me that I cannot shake it off.

MyNameIsNot

princessgracekelly said:

lovegood90 said:

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

Do you ever just hear or read the three or four things a picky eater does eat and think that's more gross than all the foods they're not eating? Like I'm imagining this lady eating poutine and a corn dog together for a meal and I just

Yes! I was friends with the super picky boy in college. He ate nothing but cheese pizza and french fries until adulthood. Then when we lived in the dorm, he decided to go vegan. 

The man literally ate catsup for dinner frequently because he didn't like anything in the dining hall. I'm still convinced that bottled catsup has to contain some sort of animal bi-product, but I wasn't about to argue him into anorexia. 

princessgracekelly

MyNameIsNot said:

princessgracekelly said:

lovegood90 said:

Just remembered, I grew up with this friend who ate literally nothing except hot dogs and french fries (she would eat poutine though- which is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top).

I thought she just really liked those foods until I went to her house for dinner: her family served me and everyone else a regular meal, then my friend got one of those corn dogs on a stick with a side of fries! I couldn't believe that she actually only ate that. Also, when I went to her house for dinner we were like, 15 at this point.

We lost touch after high school but I'm super curious now if she's had a heart attack or something yet, yeesh!

Do you ever just hear or read the three or four things a picky eater does eat and think that's more gross than all the foods they're not eating? Like I'm imagining this lady eating poutine and a corn dog together for a meal and I just

Yes! I was friends with the super picky boy in college. He ate nothing but cheese pizza and french fries until adulthood. Then when we lived in the dorm, he decided to go vegan. 

The man literally ate catsup for dinner frequently because he didn't like anything in the dining hall. I'm still convinced that bottled catsup has to contain some sort of animal bi-product, but I wasn't about to argue him into anorexia. 

My freshman year roommate was a vegetarian who didn't like vegetables, plus she was a  vegetarian for religious reasons, so even if she could eat vegetables, they had to have not touched meat. Her eating habits taught me that a vegetarian lifestyle is not necessarily healthier, as for her it seemed to be all cheese, all the time.

mrsk616

danamw said:

Don't turn meals into a battleground. That will make it worse. Encourage the kid to try new things, but don't give ultimatums or make the kid stay at the table until the plate is cleaned.

I was a hellish eater when I was a kid, I had a thing where I didn't like certain textures or feelings in my mouth. I outgrew it, and one of the things my mom did right was not make an issue of it. Oh yes, she got frustrated, but she didn't punish me unduly.

my mom and i agree with this. my dad always wants to make dinner time a time where we hash out issues. ummm no thats not how it works. oh and he still tries to force food upon me. argh cant wait to be out of the house.

MairePoppy

lolo883 said:

hellosweetie1015 said:

This is going to sound crazy - but I think a lot of pickiness comes from both how Mommy Dearest ate while you were cooking, and then how she chose to feed you (and what she ate while she was feeding you). 

My mom, when I was not-yet-born, ate super carefully. She didn't eat a lot of spicy, she didn't eat a lot of super flavorful things, she ate really boring stuff. And then, when I popped into the world, I was a bottle baby and so I only tasted formula. First baby, trying to do "all the things right". I was INSANELY picky as a kid, and I'm still likely to pick things I know I like over things I haven't ever had. I had to try things, but I learned pretty early on how to make a sandwich or oatmeal. (Which I love. Unlike the PP who hates it.)

My middle siblings, on the other hand, are not picky. My brother has an issue with cheese/milk/dairy (texture issue, I think), and my middle sister will literally eat anything. My mom was not nearly as cautious about her eating when she was pregnant with them (although she still was careful) and they were breastfed not bottlefed, so even after they came out, they got to have a more diverse number of tastes. 

The anomaly is my baby sister, who hates all things except chicken fingers and steak. She is 18. Not sure why she is picky, except to be contrary.

I have a friend with whom I went to high school. I met him in junior year. Every day except Pizza Day, he ate a microwaved hot dog for lunch. It made me absolutely sick haha. 

Sounds legit. My mom ate tacos every day when she was pregnant with me.

Weird story- My great aunt craved fried clams during her first pregnancy. She sent her husband out for them several times a week. Daughter was colicky for the first few months of her life. So the women in the family came up with a solution. Sent Great Uncle out for fried clams, wrapped a few in some cheesecloth  and let my cousin suck on it. They claim she wasn't colicky after getting her clam fix.