Author |
Message |
Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:01 pm
Any suggestions out there for a picky 4 year old? He is beyond picky. All he will eat are: flavored oatmeals, chicken nuggets (and then only the coating part), cereals (from cherrios to frosted flakes) pancakes, waffles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cereal bars (only blueberry), and yogurt. He also will drink milk and most juices and yogurt drinks. He does have some sensory issues, which may or may not affect his eating. Anyways, I just need to start off with baby steps. Can anyone think of something that is not too far from the above list that has some nutritional value? I can't go from where he is now to something like ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins) cuz that is too far a difference. Once in a while I can get him to eat a very soft carrot like in a pot pie and the crust of the pot pie. But even that is not often. HELP! I've been bad for so long-letting him get away with this. I need to change it! Is there any waffle or bread or cereal bar that has more vitamins than normal? Anything like that would be helpful. Thanks!
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Kaili
Member
08-31-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:07 pm
What kind of waffles do you get? Eggos vary a ton in nutritional value. I think it's the Special K ones or nutrigrain or something that are the best. Compare them to the homestyle ones- HUGE, HUGE difference. Are there any veggies he will eat? Would he eat normal oatmeal that you add flavor too so there's less sugar (if these are those instant packets taht you're talking about)? Like if you added fresh blueberries or a little honey?
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Sillycalimomma
Member
11-13-2003
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:24 pm
Maybe try some fruits with sugar? My daughter loves peaches in a bowl with a bit of milk and brown sugar (although I have to take my time cutting up those darn peaches just so). Does your son like any meats? My daughter hated meat until about that age and then she tried meatloaf with tons of ketchup and she loved it. I also gave her granola bars (the natures valley ones) I hear you with the "baby steps" here. My daughter has always been a great eater and loves veggies. But my nephew is a totally different child. He won't eat hardly anything but pancakes and mac and cheese. I always have him help with the meals and he seems more into eating them if we do that. Our number one rule at the dinner table for the kids is that the children have to eat the thing on their plate that they don't want to eat the most first. That way they can't fill up on the things I know they will eat (like bread) and then leave the veggies to cry over. It works for the most part.
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Cablejockey
Member
12-27-2001
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:32 pm
One thing to remember, they will grow out of this, usually by school age. I had 2 kids who disliked everything except 2 or 3 things. I made sure they had a vitamin every day and they ate what they liked and I made little mention of it. Finally the day would arrive when they came to the table wanting to know why they weren't having what the rest of us were. Oh happy day!
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Kimmo
Member
05-02-2003
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:32 pm
Julie, I'll try going through the list and thinking of things a bit at a time. I wouldn't worry if he is getting a protein, a carb and a fruit/vegetable each time he eats. I wouldn't bet on getting more than typical nutritional value out of a waffle or other cereal product. Flavored oatmeals: You could add powdered milk and/or wheat germ get protein and vitamins in there. They shouldn't change the flavor. Has he tried Zoom, Malt o Meal, or Cream of Wheat? Chicken nuggets (and then only the coating part): Does he like fish sticks? If he only likes the coating part, maybe you could try a casserole that has such a coating on top (like a chicken/saucy casserole with a potato chip or other crumby topping). Cereals (from cherrios to frosted flakes) Pancakes, waffles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cereal bars (only blueberry)... I don't think Cheerios or any of these cereal products are bad themselves. If he eats them with a dairy/protein (yogurt, cheese, or milk) on the side and some fruit, that is a full "meal" or snack. The Cheerios could be mixed with wheat germ, some other cereal and yogurt and eaten as a type of "parfait" (maybe that wouldn't bother him if it were very Cheerio-dense). Peanut butter and banana sandwiches? Grilled cheese on toast? Cream cheese and jam taste good on crackers. I can't think of any replacements that are totally different from what he is eating. A good starter vegetable is sweet potato or squash. They are very sweet, nutritious, and can be mixed up and lumpy like oatmeal. Maybe he would like whipped potatoes if he likes yogurt (maybe put cream cheese or sour cream in to make it more like yogurt in texture). You can also make carrot fries that are cut, buttered and baked like French fries (I think I read it in last month's "Parents" or "Child"). You could probably do the same with sweet potatoes. Does he like canned fruit? Apricots are good.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:53 pm
Thanks guys! I knew you'd guys inspire me with some good suggestions! Kimmo, thanks for breaking it down like that! Keep any more suggestions coming! THANKS A LOT!!!
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Jewels
Member
09-23-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:57 pm
Julie, first of all, you are not a bad mom for the way your son eats! The things you listed aren't that bad. He has a really good foundation of foods. My son is not a meat eater either. I make sure he gets protein other ways, like scrambled eggs which he likes. Will Ryan eat those? Up until about a year ago, all my son would mostly just eat Ritz crackers and fruit. It drove me crazy. He will now eat carrot sticks and cooked broccoli though. I keep a bag of the little carrots in the fridge for him and let him know that whenever he wants any he can get them himself. That seems to make a difference because it makes him feel like a "big boy". He has always loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches too. I just make sure I use an all natural peanut butter (from Trader Joe's), a really good whole wheat bread and some sugar-free homemade jelly my sister-in-law makes. I buy whole wheat waffles for him which he loves. Basically I try to buy anything that doesn't have added sugar in it. Granola bars, cereal bars and things like that usually have alot of added sugar. We make what we call "yogurt juice" as a good healthy snack. I put some vanilla yogurt in a blender along with a banana and some other fruit like strawberries or peaches or whatever you have, add ice and blend. You could even mix it up and use a different flavored yogurt (but watch what kind you get as most of them have a lot of sugar in them), or add juice, or whatever, until you find something that he likes. My sons preschool is actually having a dietician coming to do a program for parents this Monday night about feeding young children. They are going to talk about portion control, sugar content in common foods and give ideas and recipes. I am planning to go and will let you know Tuesday if they had any good information. 
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Sher
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 3:59 pm
Have you tried mashed potatos. My dd will eat mashed potatos 3 meals a day if I let her. They have the consistency of some of the other foods you have mentioned and they are very good for hiding things peas, mashed sweet potato, mashed turnip, just about anything. It is like they don't even notice that the other things is in there. And if you can get him to eat gravy you can start introducing little pieces of meat in the gravy. Also please remember that you need to repeatedly give new foods to children so they acquire a taste for them.
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Faerygdds
Member
08-29-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:00 pm
I don't have kids, but I feel like I have to say something here. I have a nephew who from the age of 0 to 6 ate nothing but french fries and chicken nuggets. Specifically McDonalds french fries and chicken nuggets. It wa so bad that his first words were not Mom or Dad, but "Nonalds". As his Aunt, it was beyond frustrating! He always liked cheese, but hated milk. It was next to impossible to have a "family" gathering meal like Thanksgiving without making french fries for Andrew. Anyway... Last year I threw a big fit in front of he and his siblings -- a nephew who is too young to understand, and a neice who is an ADHD hypoglycemic carb addict! I had the fit for HER benefit, although she ignored me. HE on the other hand, being the more mature 9 year old, took what I said to heart and decided to not eat french fries anymore. He and I have a special bond and I think he wanted to make me proud as well as not have to take medicine and blood sugar readings like his Daddy when he gets older (diabetic family -- all of us!). Whatever the reason he is now a protein freak. He still eats his carbs, but he picks better ones. He started out immediately eating nothing but chicken legs (resembled those nuggets he used to love). Then he graduated to chicken breasts because they had more meat. Then he saw steak and lobster being eaten on survivor and that caused him to start eating red meat and seafood. The point to all this blather is that when he was 4 and would ONLY eat french fries and nuggets and the occasional hunk of cheese, everyone told me he would grow out of it. He did grow out of it eventually, with a little help and guidance. And his mom woudld have him try new things every once in a while -- with SOME success. But nevertheless, he grew out of it. If you really want to diversify his appetite, I do have 1 surefire method that everyone will hate. Only buy him what you want him to eat. The kid is NOT gonna starve. Eventually, he will eat something even if he doesn't want to! Although you have to deal with the complaining -- and THAT'S the trick! sorry to ramble
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:12 pm
Thanks Jewels, Sher and Faery. I look forward to your "report" jewels! And Faery, Ryan also currently calls McDonalds "Nonalds!" It is so hard to just buy what I want him to eat. Sounds so easy, but somehow it is not. I just like to have food on hand that I KNOW he will eat. Amazingly I don't have a cabinet full of Oreos and Twinkies (that's what my taste buds ask for!!!) So at least we have that going for us. And sometimes I do use sweets as motivation (like if he eats a waffle, then he can have a cookie or piece of candy). Yeah, I forgot to mention that even with the foods he will eat--I actually have to struggle to get him to eat those! I swear he should be a twig, but he is very average for weight. (How sad is it that I am starting to think that if he eats a Reeses PB cup, that he's eaten healthy cuz of the PB!!!) Anyways, thanks Jewels for the encouragement too!! You are a "gem!!"
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Lancecrossfire
Moderator
07-13-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:30 pm
Julie, I just lost a big post about this--sorry. I will recreate it tonight when I come back in. I was approaching my response strictly from a nutritional aspect. Is that your main concern, or are looking to just get him interested in more foods?
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Lancecrossfire
Moderator
07-13-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:33 pm
Oh, I my post centered around addressing the 6 nutrients: 1. water 2. vitamins 3. minerals 4. protein 5. fat 6. carbohydrates If I recreate the post as it was, it will be about these and the foods you mention above with ideas that would be baby steps. Do you want me to go with just that, or expand or cover it differently?
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Awareinva
Member
08-13-2001
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:43 pm
First off, unless he's a twig or your doctor is concerned, it's probably nothing to worry about. But I know how it is, you worry about it anyway and other's in your life make comments that don't help, I'm sure. I have found that the habits you establish at this age in kids stick, so trying to get a more balanced diet now is an admirable goal. Being a mom of two of the world's pickiest eaters, I sympathize! I do see a big lack of protein there though. Have you tried eggs? That is a huge staple for us.... my two won't eat red meat(except ham), but I haven't pushed it. But eggs can be fixed so many ways- boiled (hard or soft), scrambled, over medium or hard. Might be worth a try. We graduated from chicken strips/nuggets to fried chicken to baked/broiled chicken gradually over the years. Mine don't want nuggets now at all. I have gradually added turkey as they have come to eat chicken-not a favorite but they will eat it. What about cheese? That is a good protein and again comes in lots of variety. String cheese is mild enough for most palates. How about mild cheddar- you can offer it as grilled cheese, cubes, shredded, etc. Melted on crackers is a favorite snack here. And you can get decent cheese slices (we like Borden the best). Cream cheese is a good thing too... on toast, crackers, and mine prefer it on pasta to tomato sauce. And fruits are huge with most kids.... easier to introduce than veggies. Try some of the "non-standard" ones- blackberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple - fresh is so much better than canned, they may cost more but if the kids will eat them, its worth it to me. I kept fruit chunks in plastic containers to make them more readily available. Veggies are our toughest sell. My kids have refused mashed potatoes forever, what oddballs. But they would eat steamed broccoli- go figure. Now they will eat cucumbers, carrot sticks (grudgingly), and corn. We are hoping to add more as the years go on. But they are 10 and 12- so it has taken a long time Pasta is a good option too... have you tried that yet? Seems like he has similar tastes to my kids- bland was good. We are expecting a new baby next month and this is the one thing I hope I can go back and do differently. This kid will be eating what we eat almost as soon as he has teeth- I'm really praying for a non-picky eater this time around!! LOL Good luck anyway and don't sweat it. Odds are he'll expand his choices as he ages... heck, DS ate hot and sour soup at the chinese place last night!! Talk about progress!! There is hope!! 
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Colordeagua
Member
10-25-2003
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:44 pm
quote:Only buy him what you want him to eat. The kid is NOT gonna starve. Eventually, he will eat something even if he doesn't want to! Although you have to deal with the complaining -- and THAT'S the trick!
Faerygdds, Dr. Phil also said as much. Put whatever food in front of him. He'll eat when he gets hungry enough. He's not going to starve.
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Kimmo
Member
05-02-2003
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:48 pm
Faery, you added what I was coming back to say-- Everyone has to eat the same thing at the table, otherwise somebody might not buy into trying different foods. I also wanted to add what Sher said-- Keep repeating the new foods and he will eventually accept them. I read that a new food may need to be repeated 21 times before a child accepts it and starts eating it. He really doesn't have a choice when it comes to eating-- You make the choices and you are obviously wanting to make good ones! Jewels also pointed out yet another thing I wanted to add-- Eating food that he can eat "all by himself" might be his preference (like nuggets, waffles, etc, you can all pick up with yoru fingers, aren't messy, etc), so maybe making everything into "finger food" would help. Anyway, even though getting him to eat is tough, I would stay away from bribing with candy or other "junk" food. That turns eating into not enjoying it because it's good food, but a way to get junk food. If you don't introduce it, he won't know it's around. If you don't bribe with it, he won't get the idea that this food is "better" or more desirable than what you really want him to eat. A good book on feeding/nutrition is "Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense" by Ellen Satter (a nutritionist). It says what Faery summed up-- Only serve what you want him to eat. He isn't going to starve if he goes on a food strike. He will learn that he needs to eat what is served. But it also adds, lay out everything you think is appropriate for him to eat. Put out one or two things that are easy to set alongside your "real" dinner to present as options for him to eat. He can pick and choose what he wants to eat from what you've laid out, but if he refuses, starts playing with the food, or just clearly no longer wants to eat, then the meal is over. You can control what you give him to eat; but you can't control what he actually eats. That's the big mantra of "Child of Mine" and like everyone said, he will grow out of this fine. 
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Kimmo
Member
05-02-2003
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:58 pm
Reading what Aware said about fruit-- Canned really is bad, except for apricot (vitamin A), but if he isn't eating fruit at all, it might be a good introduction to fruit. We just have it sometimes as dessert or with French toast. A good fruit to start with would be papaya-- Very nutrient dense and you can blend it with yogurt or cottage cheese for a nice smooth yogurt-y texture. Aware, my 2-year old's favorite veg was broccoli-- Until DH served us undercooked (raw) broccoli this Christmas Eve! Ugh. Now he won't touch it, but I don't blame him. Spinach is a good vegetable to mix into casseroles, meatloaf and such. Does he like ground beef?
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Jagger
Member
08-07-2002
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 4:58 pm
I have to agree with Faery, there are times when you may just have to say this is what we are having for dinner, that is all there is. I was always a very good eater when I was a child, but my folks were very strict, we had to eat what was put on our plate whether we liked it or not. My sister use to have troubles with her kids also only eating certain foods, eventually she went with the same thing of this is what we're having for dinner, either eat this or eat nothing, eventually her kids ate what was there. Her hardest problem was getting the one daughter to eat meat, eventually my sister found substitutes for the meat. Now the kids are all grown up and using the same techniques on their kids.
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Jewels
Member
09-23-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 5:46 pm
Have to add my two cents again.... If you are going to have him eat whatever is served at the table, be prepared for a fight. We tried this, it didn't work. Dinner time was not fun and it was an awful experience. If you don't have kids, it sounds like a great idea and easy to implement. It's not, at least for us it wasn't. We modified this theory a little bit and had my son eat at least a bite of what was being served. Then he could have something different. I know he is not going to starve, but I don't believe in punishing him by making him eat something he has never liked before or had never even tried before. Eventually, after he had tried more foods, he would take a few more bites of some things, but there are still some things he just won't eat. I am not going to force him too eat it. There are some things I don't like either, it's normal. He now has a more expanded variety of foods he will eat and I think taking it slow was the best approach for us. You are in control, but you also know your son better than anyone else. All just my opinion, of course. 
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Tabbyking
Member
03-11-2002
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 5:48 pm
sounds like his list isn't too bad, if you could get a few more veggies into him. the peanut butter has great protein and it looks as if he is getting all his dairy...some fruits from the juices (hopefully, 100% juice, not sugar water!) my kids started eating steamed broccoli with melted cheese and now like broccoli with nothing on it. they ate baby carrots with ranch dressing. i also found they liked veggies better if they got to choose them or how they would be prepared. if they would only eat peas if they had green giants or elves on the package, i would spring for those pricier ones on occasion. my son is still a picky eater. will not eat chicken or pork or anything 'on the bone'! he still could live on mac and cheese, but does have salads in the restaurants on campus. he also takes an apple and banana with him each night to have for breakfast, especially as he has some extra 'money' left after he puts his meals together.
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 5:49 pm
Ack! I have horrible horrible memories of being forced to eat as a child. Sitting at the table for hours long after everyone else was done, choking down foods I truly found unpalatable, and it didn't matter how many times I ate 'em. To this day, I can't eat those foods and I'm sure it's because they still invoke that gag reflex. I've never forced my son to eat anything, and I think it's important to remember that kids' taste buds are so much more sensitive than our own. It is not at all unusual or abnormal for children to be 'picky eaters'... it's biology. That doesn't mean you let them eat a bunch of junk food. It does mean you offer a "wide" variety of *simple* healthy foods, and let them choose from that array. In the long run, kids have less eating disorders and fewer problems with weight if they don't find the whole eating thing to be a power struggle between parent and child. Heck, there are much more important battles that have to be fought, this doesn't need to be one of 'em. My son is 9. When he was four, he had about a dozen foods he liked to eat. I always tried to have one or two at each meal, along with something else that he was encouraged to take a bite of, but not forced to eat. If he truly couldn't tolerate what I made for dinner, he always had an option of a sandwich he liked, pb&j, or grilled cheese. Now if he opts out, he has to make his own sandwich too. Over time, his tastes become more varied, as his taste buds matured. He still has a limited number of 'preferred' foods compared to adults, but he eats a healthy range of things including fruits and vegetables. Make sure you are actually responding to YOUR child and his individual needs and idiosyncracies. Yes, you need to limit the bad stuff, that's just good parenting. But it also doesn't need to be some power struggle kind of thing either. Julie, you should maybe read some things about problems with sensory integration. It may very well be that, like my son, he is so supersensitive to sensation that he really can't palate some foods. They taste much more strong to him than they do to adults, and even other kids. And remember, as long as you keep introducing variety, he will grow out of it.
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Kimmo
Member
05-02-2003
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 6:10 pm
It sounds like everyone means the same thing-- You control what is set out on the table, but make sure there is a lot of variety so he can make choices from what is there (and make sure he has something in there that he actually likes eating). Even with Jagger's sister, she compromised with the meat substitute. I too have horrible memories of being forced to eat food and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
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Cancunkid
Member
10-01-2003
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 6:17 pm
Julieboo I agree with most here. Your son's diet isn't all that bad for a kid. I have worked as a nanny for more years than I care to think about and have seen all kinds of eating habits. As long as they are NOT being raised on fast food most develop good eating habits. You are obviously a good mother making every effort to offer a variety of healthy choices. Only suggestion I can make is peanut butter on celery. Most kids like that because it is pb and they get to eat with their fingers. Finger foods work best because working a fork or spoon can be difficult for a small child. Frozen grapes were a favorite of my youngest niece too. The meat thing will come later. I personally hated the stuff as a kid and now I am on Atkins!
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Lumbele
Member
07-12-2002
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 6:18 pm
Julie, you are not a bad mother or you wouldn't be so concerned. Just make sure he eats an increasingly more balanced diet while slowly decreasing the availability of the things he does like. Time and hunger should eventually take care of the rest. We never really had any serious problems with our son, but there were a few things he didn't much care for. We insisted on him having a "no-thank-you-portion", starting with just a tsp of the disliked food. Very gradually these portions became slightly bigger. Some things he now enjoys, and the others have grown to 1 tbsp portions in 21 years.LOL
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Faerygdds
Member
08-29-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 6:51 pm
quote:My son is 9. When he was four, he had about a dozen foods he liked to eat. I always tried to have one or two at each meal, along with something else that he was encouraged to take a bite of, but not forced to eat. If he truly couldn't tolerate what I made for dinner, he always had an option of a sandwich he liked, pb&j, or grilled cheese. Now if he opts out, he has to make his own sandwich too.
This is what my parents did with one exception. For dinner my parents served what I liked plus a few things I didn't or hadn't been exposed to. I was required to take a "thank you" bite. Which was explained to me as a "thank you" for taking the time and trouble of Mom making it. Now... if I really couldn't tolerate it (like cauliflower with cheese -- I could do both separately, but not together -- gag reflex kicked in) then I didn't have to eat it or take a thank you bite the second time around. HOWEVER, huge guarantee that there would be something else new when she served it after that! Mom was a smart cookie. And thanks to her I have a vast array of foods I love. For a long time I only took that one bite, but later after I had more thank you bites of the same thing (unless I gagged) I got to like those foods too! After a while I was serving myself regular portions of that and my favorites that weren't so good for me disappeared from the table, but by that point, I didn't miss them. Granted, this took YEARS, but it gives you an idea of how to integrate this idea. But be advised, you WILL get protests for a little while, but as long as you present it as a "thank you" and not a "have to" -- it helps! Good luck!
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Azriel
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 10:09 pm
I think it's all in the packaging. Even young kids are attracted to Tony the Tiger, any package that is bright and colorful and things that are in individual child size pieces like chicken nuggets is special to them. Plus, you have probably unconsciously made him think that these foods were yummy and special by your attitude towards them. So here is my battle plan. It worked for me when my kids were young. As soon as they went to school they wised up because the other little brats clued them in on some of my tricks, but who knows it might work longer for you. Go to the store one day without your child. Go to a party store and buy several different kinds of the colorful little goodie bags they give away at parties. Make sure you get some that have some of your child's favorite characters on them. Get some non-toxic felt tip markers and some colorful stickers. Buy some really cute party paper paper plates, bowls and cups with your child's favorite characters on them. Now go to the grocery store and buy baby carrots, celery, broccoli and grapes. Buy the smallest oranges, apples and bananas that you can find. Buy nonfat ranch and thousand island dressing. Buy fruit juice and some fizzy mineral water. Go home and put it all away without your child seeing it. Now that night AFTER your child goes to bed. Get everything out. I think kids have alot of trouble with the texture of most vegetables. Even baby carrots are a little too thick and crunchy for them to sink their little mouth mouth around. So wash and thoroughly dry the fruits and vegetables. Cut the baby carrots in half lengthwise and then in half again so they are little slivers. Cut the celery in the same size pieces making sure you get as much of the outside stringy pieces off that you can. Cut the broccoli flowerettes into really tiny pieces using only the tenderest pieces, no hard stems.(good luck on broccoli though, I could never get my kids to eat it) Put them into the small gift bags in small individual sized servings. Seal each bag with a cute sticker and put them in the refrigerator. Wash and dry the grapes and put them in the bags. Put a bag or two of them in the freezer. My kids loved frozen grapes. Get a large colorful serving bowl and take a few each of your small apples, oranges and bananas. With the non-toxic markers, draw funny colorful faces on the fruit. Put cute little stickers all over the fruit juice bottle and mineral water bottle. (put some stickers on your bottles of salad dressing, too) Arrange the fruits in a bowl and put them in a special place on the counter or table as a centerpiece. Now at snack time the next day, give your child their regular snack and beverage on a plain boring plate and glass. Make yourself a healthy snack on the cute plates. Pour some fruit juice in a cute cup and mix it 1/2 with the fizzy mineral water. (Fruit juice is good for your child but loaded with natural sugars, by cutting it with the mineral water they still get the flavor and goodness with less calories) If your child complains that they want a cute plate. Tell them only special food goes on the special plates. Eat the snack and act like you are eating your favorite food. Don't get too exaggerated, but act like you are enjoying it. Even if you hate vegetables, just give yourself a small portion to begin with, load the dressing on it and eat it with a smile. If they tell you they want a bite of it, tell them that maybe next snack time they can try it. Never give them a bite or a drink when they have their own snack food in front of them to compare it with. If you want fruit for your snack ask your child to help you pick out which funny face you are going to eat. The next snack time you can let them try the special snacks. If they act like they don't like it, don't insist that they eat it or eat all of it. You would never insist they eat all of their candy, would you? But, don't give them another snack. Never ever let them eat their regular snacks on the cute plates. Don't convince yourself that the peanut butter sandwich is healthy. The cute plates are only for new snacks that you want them to eat. Don't give them snacks on the special plates every day. Go back and forth with the old snacks, just try to give them the healthiest of the old snacks. Prepackaging the fruits and vegetables also makes it easy to always have a healthy snack ready for your child. When you go on outings you can always pop a bag in your outing bag and have something good for them to eat no matter where you go. Until my kids were in first grade and the little brats they went to school with them told them different they thought the little boxes of raisins were 'Raisin Candy'. 
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