Support thread for moms of picky eaters - Part 2

[Mom to M&M]

I'm sure it would work with lemon juice instead and yes, I've tried it and liked it!

The cookies are good! I halved it and still make 13 cookies. I also used only 1 tbsp white sugar (instead of two which would have been since I had halved the recipe). Only problem is I probably cooked them a minute too long but still good! We'll see if DS will eat one though...

Mmmmm... chicken pot pie... comfort food at its finest!

[Tweakster]

Yep.  We haven't had pie since March in the UK!  Finn gobbled it up so here's hoping...

[Jiinx]

reading all these threads makes me hungry. Of course I wish I could pass on my appetite. Z has been doing okay. Eating a variety of stuff if she feels like it. Made her a spinach pancake for lunch and she gobbled it up So thrilled!

Karen, you must have a huge pantry at home filled with the most interesting ingredients.

cookies look delicious

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

Those cookies look awesome, Karen.  Have a question - ped told us not to give nuts until S is 2...is that because of allergies or because nuts are easy to choke on? I know a lot of people who give peanut butter to their under 2 yr old child, so I'm wondering if I can use peanut butter in baking for him.  He has started to eat arrowroot cookies now so I would love to make him these.

Martina - we have had some success with cutting up really small pieces too.  I started doing it when I saw S throwing big pieces, but then picking up tiny crumbs and eating them.  So crazy!

S is still eating quite a bit -- I think the switch from formula to milk is helping his appetite.  He hasn't been trying as many foods the past few days, but still eating so I'm ok with that.  I can't expect the child to go from literally trying nothing new to eating everything I want him to in a week's time!

[Mom to M&M]

LOL Sarah! But little good it does me... DS wouldn't even try one of the cookies. DD had 1.5. Then at dinner he screamed for pasta (not on the menu tonight), finally ate one TEENY bite of brisket (cause I told him it was in sauce), one small roasted potato, then his pouch of blueberry/pear/purple carrot and a few spoonfuls of oatmeal. That's it. So tired of it lately...

Nicole - they say that both because of allergies and choking. But I started giving my kids nuts baked into things probably around 1.5 and DS started eating pistachio nuts (he LOVES them) about a month or more ago. I think as long as you don't have a family history of nut allergies you can try the PB in baking - just have Benadryl on hand in case.

[Tweakster]

DH gave F PB at 6 mths - I was shocked.  But luckily there are no food allergies in our families on either side.

Well he refused dinner, he refused to get up to the table despite repeated warnings that this was the only meal.  DH tried the 'well we're going to eat your meal' and so he said no and came over and got in his seat then got angry and cried at the plate and refused to even try it, then yelled down.  He then played until DH and I got up and cleaned the kitchen and then came over and asked to sit at the table.  So DH put him up there and he cried for waffles and we told him again very nicely that there were no waffles and that unfortunately he missed dinner.  So yes, we put him to bed with no dinner, just a cup of milk that he had from earlier.

Hope he chooses more wisely next time!  It was perfectly lovely pie, full of chicken and pastry, what's not to like?

[Jiinx]

Ah..these toddlers. Remember when we were worried only about sleep woes? ermm...I got THAT and other woes!

Z was just too excited to sit and eat dinner today. She ate some in her high chair and then placed the plate on our table with her fork and then said "sit!" and sat with me then raced down and went back and forth until I told her firmly to sit and eat some more.

Dinner is a hard meal to get into her ...

I tried peanut butter at one year..it was fine for some time and then I gave it to her one day and she got red hives around her mouth and she started putting something in her mouth and rubbing it back and forth in her mouth...gave it a break and then tried again after a few months and she's been fine. Weird. Never figured it out. She's not a nut fan but will eat peanut butter in baked goods and enjoys a few cashews.

aw wendy..*hugs* that must be tough

[Mom to M&M]

Hugs Wendy. Maybe he was mostly full from another big lunch at the new daycare? At least he drinks milk before bed. Since we took away the bottle (and switched off cow's milk) a few months ago he doesn't drink ANY milk so we can't even fall back on that. Meant to ask you - you said your DH used to be crazy picky - I know you say he's still picky but he's not that bad anymore it seems - when did he start to get better? I need some hope!

[~inbalance~]

Karen, both my brother and I were fairly picky eaters and neither of us are anymore.  But it probably wasn't closer until teen/adult years that we came around.  Then again, my parents didn't really feed us all that healthily when we were growing up.  I didn't even know what good food was until I met DH!  He is the one that helped me overcome my pickiness.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks Martina. My brother was like you completely and now is a super healthy and varied eater but didn't start coming around to high school some and college/beyond more (he's now 32). Course he also found a bunch of food allergies (he's seriously allergic to dairy, nuts and fish) that he didn't know of until he was in college so that may have played a part in his pickiness too.

[~Sara~]

Karen, both my brother and I were fairly picky eaters and neither of us are anymore.  But it probably wasn't closer until teen/adult years that we came around.  Then again, my parents didn't really feed us all that healthily when we were growing up.  I didn't even know what good food was until I met DH!  He is the one that helped me overcome my pickiness.

I started out eating anything and everything as a baby/toddler...then I got picky...then I kind of normalized once I hit my teenage years.  I remember when I first started liking Chinese food: 15 yo, NYC, Chinatown.  So, even those kiddos who start off not being picky can become picky, but then turn around again.  Maybe there is hope for us all in the end, eh?

Well, dinner was a bust for us, but I kinda knew it would be: we had taco salad.  Aaron ate a piece of cheese, some mandarin oranges, and some goldfish  He did take a bite of lettuce with some ranch on it, chewed it up for a while, then spat it out.  Hey--he tried it!!  I'll take it!!

[~inbalance~]

Well, neither my brother or I had any allergies growing up, but my brother developed some mild allergies later in life.  But you know, my mom is not a very adventurous eater and I think it rubbed off on us, kwim?  Like her range of foods was so limited and since she was the one influencing us and making our meals, we didn't get exposed to much.  My dad on the other hand would eat anything, and he used to get SO frustrated with us for not trying new things.  He would eat all three of our leftovers!  So I think a lot of our pickiness was environmental really and we outgrew it when we started to move away from parental involvement.  Your LOs will obviously have much more exposure to healthy foods and variety than we did!

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

My DH is pretty picky and has only started to come around now (at 33)  -- but that is due to me (patting myself of the back).  His mother though NEVER explored new foods with him..never tried.  She actually gets annoyed with me when I put new things on S's tray or hide purees in his food.  Whatever.  Anyway, when I met him when we were 17, he only ate mini hot dogs, pasta bolognese, and chicken and broccoli as main courses at dinner time (they went out to eat (Italian or Chinese food) pretty much every night! He now eats many more things even though I still want to pull my hair out sometimes.  It is ironic that I love food and love to cook and I have two picky ones in my household.

My little brother was very picky too - down to recognizing the brand of canned corn he was eating and only wanting one particular one (I can't believe my mom let him get away with that).  He now eats quite a bit more variety -- but that is due to his girlfriend (even though my mom did try when we were little)!

Thanks, everyone, re the advice about PB/nuts.  I am going to try the cookies today and see what happens.  At the very worst, DH and I can eat them.  It's going to be ANOTHER rainy day here in NJ so eating cookies sounds like a good idea.
xx

[Mom to M&M]

Wait, Nicole - you're in NJ? Where? So am I!

Thanks everyone for the stories about yourselves/DH's, etc as picky eaters...

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

Omg, I can't believe I didn't notice that under your picture! I am in Middletown (Monmouth County)! Where are you??