As parents, we want our children to eat a variety of healthy foods, so it’s frustrating when they do not. Toddlerhood seems to be the time when it happens most.  Parents may wonder about whether their kids will grow out of this phase or what recipes their picky-eater will enjoy!

Some kids outgrow picking eating, while others do not. Children who do outgrow this phase are typically picky eaters because they went through the picky eater phase that starts at around age 1-2 and ends somewhere between 3-5 years of age.

Why do some children not leave the picky eater phase?

Some roadblocks may result in some children not leaving the picky eater phase:

• Your child decides what they want to eat for each meal
• Your child grazes throughout the day and eats whenever they are hungry
• There’s no variety of foods being offered

I’ll be honest. I’m guilty of these- I have wanted to make sure my child eats enough, so I would let her eat as much as she wanted when she wanted. One issue we have to tackle is having her eat when we eat. And even if she doesn’t eat a variety of foods when they are offered to her, I need to keep offering a variety of foods (and not just give her the foods I know she will always eat).

What are some tips to get kids to eat more veggies?

One of the biggest issues I have had as a parent is that my daughter is a picky-eater because she never wants to eat veggies or she’s stuck on eating one type of food such as rice. One tip that has helped is getting my daughter involved in picking out veggies and fruits in the store. Alas, she has eaten some of the veggies she has picked out! For example, recently, we went to the store, and she decided she wanted to get broccoli. I picked some up, and she ate it later that evening.

Also, pair the veggies with a food that they already like such as a particular fruit or something such as mash potatoes. If they already like a specific vegetable, but you want them to try a new vegetable, offer the new one with one that they like. Even if they don’t eat it the first time, offer it again. Some times it takes several tries.

Also, sometimes, you may want to try cooking or offering veggies in different ways. For instance, I discovered that my daughter ate more vegetables if they were raw rather than cooked!

So, what if your child is stuck on a few types of foods or won’t eat very many vegetables? I think one thing that may help me, as well as other parents, are recipes for picky eaters. We want our kids to eat their vegetables and be assured that they get all of the nourishment they need, so sometimes it does help to offer meals that are for picky eaters. That being said, I did reach out to fellow moms and bloggers for their best picky eater meals/recipes.

Recipes Your Picky-Eater will Love

Tortilla Pizzas

You will need a tortilla shell (use wheat to make it healthier), pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings you choose.  Cook on a baking sheet (you can cover the baking sheet with foil and then spray with Pam cooking spray if you’d like to keep anything from sticking) at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.  And last of all, this is a quick and easy alternative to frozen pizza!

-Jaime from Sunflowers and Motherhood

Kid-approved Easy Smoothie

This is a great way to pack in nutrients (maybe even vegetables if you so desire!)! For instructions on how to make one, visit Kale’s blog post: Kid-approved Smoothie.

According to Kale, this smoothie is great, because the flavor isn’t overpowering!

Rainbow Salad Platter

This idea comes from Nancy, so if you want more information on how to create this, click here: Mama Raven

The bright colors of the veggies may help attract your picky eaters! Also, it may be helpful to get your children to arrange the vegetables on the tray.

Veggie Sides and Meals

These ideas come from Mary at Mama Rohrer’s Pride:

• Celery and peanut butter
• Cucumbers with cream cheese
• Carrot sticks and hummus
• Broccoli with melted cheese
• Salad and avocado
• Spinach and hummus rolled up with turkey meat
• Peas only in rice and soy sauce
• Cubed sweet potato with cinnamon and scrambled egg
• Corn on the cob with butter

No Added Sugar Banana and Blueberry Muffins

This idea comes from Sarah, so if you’d like the recipe, click here: Muffin Recipe

This is a great recipe if you want to get some fruit in your kids and use up leftover fruit!

One-Pot Cheesy Chicken Alfredo

This recipe comes from Six Sisters Stuff, so if you’d like this recipe click here: Chicken Alfredo.

You can quickly throw this recipe together in one pan on a busy weeknight! You could consider adding a vegetable in this pasta.

Vegetarian Mexican Casserole

This recipe is great, as it has protein and veggies combined with great flavor! Check out this recipe at Build Your Bite.

Italian Meatballs

This recipe comes from Ashley, and you can find the recipe by clicking on this link: Italian Meatballs.

First of all, they are a lot of options for these meatballs. For example, they can be used as an appetizer or as a meal. In terms of making this a meal, you can make spaghetti and pasta sauce, and top it off with these meatballs. Or you can make mini-meatball sandwiches.

Cheesy Bites

This comes from Forks and Folly, and you can check out the recipe here: Cheesy Bites.

This recipe includes broccoli, cheese, eggs, onion, and carrots, and this is something your kids can most definitely help make! Thus, this is a very nutritious meal that the whole family can enjoy.

Toddler Soup Recipe

One way your little ones can get more vegetables is by cooking soup. There’s a good recipe by Forks and Folly that can be found here: Toddler Soup Recipe.

The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t have a ton of broth in it, so it makes it easier for your little one to eat it. Thus, it’s great for those who are just learning how to use a spoon!

Final Thoughts on Recipes Your Picky-Eater will Love

Don’t be afraid to try different things. You may find that something you thought wouldn’t work does! And also, keep trying. As mentioned before, sometimes it takes a few times of presenting a specific food before they decide to eat it!

For other tips on how to encourage your picky eater to eat different foods, visit my other blog post on picky-eating- Picky Eater Guidelines.

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References

https://yourkidstable.com/do-picky-eaters-grow-out-of-it/