Guest guest Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 Hello, everyone! I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the parents model for their children the type of diet they would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. Being a parent is a great opportunity for self-improvement... -Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2004 Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 > Melissa Zenz <melzenz > suggestion for picky eaters > > Hello, everyone! > > I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks > about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like > many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the > parents model for their children the type of diet they > would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to > eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat > them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. > > Being a parent is a great opportunity for > self-improvement... > > -Melissa Ahem, wow. I'm trying not to get my feathers ruffled. What makes you think we are NOT modeling what we want our kids to eat? I eat pesto, beets, black beans, salads - I have since before I was *pregnant* no less - and my son will *not* eat these things. I eat pears, my son will not. I eat sweet potatoes, my son will not. There is no room for " self improvement " in my eating habits, I'm a freakin' goddess of health most of the time. How old are your children? Do they not have preferences? Maybe you are blessed with children who have been cooperative and adventurous eaters all their long lives, but not all of us are so fortunate. You must have a rosy life. My son, now 5, used to eat anything I ate. Anything! I thought, " how lucky I am that I have a good eater, my poor friends, their kids are soooo picky.... " Then one day, my son got picky. Now he won't *anything* I eat - he won't even eat things he used to LOVE! I could easily be affronted by your statement, " It's pretty simple, and quite effective " when nothing could be further from the truth. Doh ----------- " Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. " ~Anonymous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 I do. I love fruits and veggies of all descriptions and the one or two I don't I make sure not to mention so as not to influence their choices. For example I can't stand beets but my hubbie loves them so I just don't draw attention to not taking them and I eat lots of the other veggies. Jacqueline - " Melissa Zenz " <melzenz Tuesday, September 21, 2004 11:05 PM suggestion for picky eaters > > Hello, everyone! > > I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks > about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like > many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the > parents model for their children the type of diet they > would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to > eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat > them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. > > Being a parent is a great opportunity for > self-improvement... > > -Melissa > > > > > > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. > > edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 , Melissa Zenz <melzenz> wrote: > Hello, everyone! > > I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks > about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like > many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the > parents model for their children the type of diet they > would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to > eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat > them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. Glad it was effective for you. For my picky eater, it doesn't make a scrap of difference. It has to do with the way his mouth reacts to texture, and no amount of modelling (and we eat a LOT of fruit and vegetables) will make him feel differently about it. He will try it, spit it out, and then I don't bug him anymore. I don't think there are many people here, struggling with picky eaters, who are sufficiently obtuse to model a junk food diet in front of their kids. *Especially* in this group. Be well, Hadass, feeling just a tad prickly today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 My son, now 4, won't touch/try/taste ANY fruit or juice. Up until he was just over 2 he would eat some fruits (he would never taste a melon) and drink some o.j. He will eat just about any green vegetable -- broccoli, peas, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, edamame. And has always HATED carrots -- he can't even look at them. His pediatrician says this is ok (although thinks it a bit strange). His father (we're divorced) has gotten angry over this. My question -- since he eats so many green vegetables, is he missing anything he needs in fruit? He also has started not liking things with tomato sauce on them -- pizza, his favorite pasta, etc. He wants to eat them (or at least he did -- hasn't asked for anything in awhile) but then when he starts to eat them, says they are too spicy or something. I haven't pushed this because it doesn't seem like he is being picky, but has just really started having a bad " taste " reaction to tomatoes. Lori Message: 6 Wed, 22 Sep 2004 12:32:47 -0700 Doh! <dohdriver Re: suggestion for picky eaters > I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks > about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like > many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the > parents model for their children the type of diet they > would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to > eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat > them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. > -Melissa How old are your children? Do they not have preferences? Maybe you are blessed with children who have been cooperative and adventurous eaters all their long lives, but not all of us are so fortunate. You must have a rosy life. My son, now 5, used to eat anything I ate. Anything! I thought, " how lucky I am that I have a good eater, my poor friends, their kids are soooo picky.... " Then one day, my son got picky. Now he won't *anything* I eat - he won't even eat things he used to LOVE! I could easily be affronted by your statement, " It's pretty simple, and quite effective " when nothing could be further from the truth. Doh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 Doh! <dohdriver wrote:> Melissa Zenz <melzenz > suggestion for picky eaters > > Hello, everyone! > > I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks > about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like > many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the > parents model for their children the type of diet they > would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to > eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat > them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. > > Being a parent is a great opportunity for > self-improvement... > > -Melissa Ahem, wow. I'm trying not to get my feathers ruffled. What makes you think we are NOT modeling what we want our kids to eat? I eat pesto, beets, black beans, salads - I have since before I was *pregnant* no less - and my son will *not* eat these things. I eat pears, my son will not. I eat sweet potatoes, my son will not. There is no room for " self improvement " in my eating habits, I'm a freakin' goddess of health most of the time. How old are your children? Do they not have preferences? Maybe you are blessed with children who have been cooperative and adventurous eaters all their long lives, but not all of us are so fortunate. You must have a rosy life. My son, now 5, used to eat anything I ate. Anything! I thought, " how lucky I am that I have a good eater, my poor friends, their kids are soooo picky.... " Then one day, my son got picky. Now he won't *anything* I eat - he won't even eat things he used to LOVE! I could easily be affronted by your statement, " It's pretty simple, and quite effective " when nothing could be further from the truth. Doh ----------- " Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. " ~Anonymous For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 Maybe he finds fruit too acidic. Jacqueline - " Lori Lugar " <llugar Thursday, September 23, 2004 4:26 PM RE: suggestion for picky eaters > My son, now 4, won't touch/try/taste ANY fruit or juice. Up until he was > just over 2 he would eat some fruits (he would never taste a melon) and > drink some o.j. He will eat just about any green vegetable -- broccoli, > peas, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, edamame. And has always HATED > carrots -- he can't even look at them. > > His pediatrician says this is ok (although thinks it a bit strange). His > father (we're divorced) has gotten angry over this. > > My question -- since he eats so many green vegetables, is he missing > anything he needs in fruit? > > He also has started not liking things with tomato sauce on them -- pizza, > his favorite pasta, etc. He wants to eat them (or at least he did -- hasn't > asked for anything in awhile) but then when he starts to eat them, says they > are too spicy or something. I haven't pushed this because it doesn't seem > like he is being picky, but has just really started having a bad " taste " > reaction to tomatoes. > > Lori > > Message: 6 > Wed, 22 Sep 2004 12:32:47 -0700 > Doh! <dohdriver > Re: suggestion for picky eaters > > > I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks > > about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like > > many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the > > parents model for their children the type of diet they > > would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to > > eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat > > them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. > > -Melissa > > How old are your children? Do they not have preferences? Maybe you are > blessed with children who have been cooperative and adventurous eaters all > their long lives, but not all of us are so fortunate. You must have a rosy > life. > > My son, now 5, used to eat anything I ate. Anything! I thought, " how lucky > I am that I have a good eater, my poor friends, their kids are soooo > picky.... " Then one day, my son got picky. Now he won't *anything* I eat - > he won't even eat things he used to LOVE! I could easily be affronted by > your statement, " It's pretty simple, and quite effective " when nothing could > be further from the truth. > Doh > > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. > > edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 > My son, now 5, used to eat anything I ate. Anything! I thought, " how lucky > I am that I have a good eater, my poor friends, their kids are soooo > picky.... " Then one day, my son got picky. Now he won't *anything* I eat - > he won't even eat things he used to LOVE! doh, I haven't had a chance to read all of the posts on this topic yet, but was wondering if your son might have some food allergies. My son became a very picky eater sometime between 4.5 & 5 yrs -- and he had previously been a kid who would eat just about anything put in front of him. He started craving sandwiches, plums, pickles, applesauce, and a few other foods -- and didn't want to eat anything else. He has since been diagnosed with multiple food allergies -- wheat, oats, rice, apples, cucumbers, peaches, pineapple, and ALL sweeteners except honey. One of my twin daughters has also recently been diagnosed with allergies to wheat and strawberries. The kids are now starting to understand that certain foods make them feel bad and certain foods make them feel good. It doesn't mean that they don't still ask for some applesauce or to go get a veggie whopper every now and then, but the screaming doesn't last as long anymore when I tell them, " no. " I think that the thing that's made the most difference is that I am having them help me plan our menu now. I've checked out quite a few cookbooks from the library and described the recipes to them and let them choose what they would like to try. The simple act of getting them involved in the planning, seems to make them much more eager to at least give some new dishes a chance. (Won't work for everyone though!) hang in there! angela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Melissa, Thanks for this suggestion. I know you meant well, and I really wish that the solution for me and other parents of unenthusiastic eaters was as simple as letting my son see me eating the kinds of foods I'd like him to eat. As I said to another mother of a picky eater who emailed me privately after the recent exchange on this subject, I was *so* prepared to be the kind of mother you obviously are. Never forcing my child to eat, always allowing him to participate in choosing and preparing foods, never stressing about food. Always, always providing wholesome, home-cooked vegetarian meals and snacks and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and eating them myself. And then my son stopped eating, and I'd be reading to him at night before bed listening to his stomach growling, knowing that he'd consumed a total of about three mouthfuls of food all day long, and not much more than that the day before or the day before that, and honestly, I would have been happy to feed him potato chips and twinkies if I thought he'd eat them. So all I can say is that sometimes the answers are not so straightforward, and perhaps a little more understanding and a little less Dr. Phil might be in order. Terry Hello, everyone! I have read numerous posts over the past few weeks about kids who are picky eaters, and who don't like many fruits and vegetables. My suggestion is that the parents model for their children the type of diet they would like them to eat. SO, if you want your child to eat more fruits and veggies, then you need to eat them. It's pretty simple, and quite effective. Being a parent is a great opportunity for self-improvement... -Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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