Getting Your Child to Eat Stuff

You know how you read all those books about your baby's first year? And you think "My child is never going to be like that!" I thought that about everything I read. My child won't have colic. Ha! nearly four months of continuous screaming! My child is going to be a great sleeper. She took 15 minute cat naps for the first six months! I literally almost had a nervous break down. Ask Patrick. 

Well, I hate to say it, but I've proved another My child will never to be sorely incorrect. I have a picky eater. Ugh! Who knew right? I mean I'm a little weird about food textures myself, but the kid won't even touch a banana. The thing is, it's not the flavor. I know this because she'll eat almost anything in baby food form, but she won't touch it's finger food counterpart. She'll eat chicken and apple baby food, but she immediately spits out any chicken (or really any meat for that matter) that so much as touches her lips, that sort of thing. She devours all carbohydrates. She is her mothers daughter I guess.

This is the "gross out face" It is made in the presence of all vegetables and nearly all fruits.

The reason I bring this up is because miracle of miracles! This child ate a real grown-up food fruit tonight for dinner! And, and (!!!) she ate a real live vegetable the other day! Turns out my child will eat five real fruits and vegetables. Her acceptable food list is as follows: Apple slices (with no skins of course), tangerine slices (this was the new discovery. Gobbled up about 5 slices so fast I thought she would choke!), mashed potatoes but what child won't eat those? I don't really see this as much of a victory, raw cauliflower, raw carrots and of course any carbohydrate (toast, crackers, cereal, pasta, rice etc. etc. etc. I give her huge pieces of the cauliflower and the carrots (too big to choke on) and she gnaws on it like a bunny. Pretty cute really. 

Spaghetti night at our house was a BIG hit!

I know it's blurry, but the hand shoving the food in her mouth
 says it all when it comes to this girl and carbs!

So for those of you with picky eaters, hang in there! They'll find something they like to eat. When you figure out what it is, stock up. And keep trying new things. I read this tip on another blog (forgive me, I cannot remember what it was). She suggested that you start with what you most want them to eat. For me that's always the fruit/vegetable. That way she gets the stuff that's best for her when so hungry she's willing to eat almost anything. Then work your way to the stuff she loves even when she's not hungry. In Wiggles' case this is always the carbohydrate for the meal.

Yay cauliflower!

I still can't get her to touch meat of any kind. If anyone out there has suggestions for how to get a (nearly) one year old to eat meat, I'm open to hearing it. Does anyone else have any picky eater tips? 'Cause I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the "gross out face" from Wiggles when it comes to eating healthy food! Feel free to comment! Seriously folks, we need to stick together as Mamas on these things.

That's all for now. Ta ta friends!

Jillian