How to Get Your Kids to Eat Anything

We all know about picky eaters. Some of us have one, or two, or all of them. It can be frustrating when all your kid wants is chicken nuggets or cereal, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nothing else. But we want our children to be healthy, so we try to get them to eat some veggies. We bribe. We beg. We try to sneak it in. But they still refuse.

Let me tell ya something. Kids are not born wanting only fries or chicken nuggets. So you cant say, “oh its just the way they are. They dont like veggies.” The foods that they prefer to eat were obviously introduced to them at one point in their life. They wouldn’t know how good skittles are until they try them. And guess who introduced these things to them! Most likely, YOU. Okay, I’m sorry, it was not you. It was all their dad and grandma. It’s all their fault. I know. And maybe this is truly the case. We dont want to admit that we are the culprit to our kids lack of desire for healthy food. But it’s true. Even if we’re not the ones feeding them junk food, we can be the ones who encourage healthy eating habits.

First, lets look at what we, the parents, are eating. Are we eating pasta alfredo, and pizza, and burgers, and then once in a while we decide to make something “healthier” and expect our kids to eat it too, but they look at you like you’re trying to feed them actual grass? You can’t expect a kid to all of a sudden like green beans if they’ve never had it before and especially becuase it tastes nothing like pizza. Of course, they are gonna make faces and prefer the pizza or sugary cereal.

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For me, eating healthy, is very important, so, clearly, I wanted to make sure my kids were eating healthy also. That wasn’t always a prioriy for me. I first began to care about what I ate after I had my second kid. And even then, it was a slow progress for me.

Sidenote: being in the dental field, I used to say that my babies would not know what a candy was until they were 5! Ha. Wrong. I would think that I’m depriving them of their childhood , so I would cave and let them have all the fun things. Whoops.

Now, you might be asking, “How do I get them to eat the veggies and the other healthy stuff?”

First of all, have them go grocery shopping with you and have then pick out which veggie/fruit you will take. And then when you get home, have them help you make the food. They will feel like they were an important part of the process and will most likely want to see what it is that they helped you make.

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Second, accept the fact that they might not like it for a while. They might even say they absolutely hate it. And that’s okay. The first time, make them try it. They can’t say they dont like it if they have absolutely no idea what it tastes like. Tell them to just try it and that its totally okay if they dont like it. But they have to try it.

Then, make it again. And this time, (if they didn’t like it, they might be making faces) make them have just one. One piece or one spoonful or forkful, or whatever. They have to have a little bit. And that’s it.

And then make it again. Dont just stop making something because your kid ruled it out the first time they tried it. Keep making it. Of course, if you hate it and your husband hates it, then you can take it off your menu for good, but if its something you want to be eating all the time, then keep making it. And every time, make your kid eat a little more than they did last time.

After some time, as the child sees that this food is here to stay, and they keep trying it, they slowly start getting used to it. They become okay with it and then, not always, they start to actually like it.

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This is important: You can’t give them what they would rather eat(the cereal or chicken nuggets or whatever it is) instead, even after they try the new food. The meal that you made, that everyone else is eating, is all they have to eat. I would tell my kids, that this is not a restaurant and I cannot make multiple meals to everyones preference. What I make, is what you eat. Breakfast was the one meal where I allowed them choose whatever they wanted, because breakfst food was easy make. They liked the idea of making their own choice. And as they got older, I allowed them to have whatever they want for lunch, since now they can make their own sandwiches. But for dinner, we are all eating what mama cooks.

This also helps: As humans, we are all different and have different preferences in food. And that’s normal. So we need to allow our kids have a few things that “they dont like”. But the key here is only a ‘few things’. Veggies don’t count as a thing. Lol. I allow my kids 3/4 things that they consistently say they dont like and we just stick to those. Everything else they have to try and grow into liking it. And they do.

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For example, all 3 of my kids hate mushrooms, so I dont make them eat it. (Although I do try to sneak them in sometimes). Two of them hate melted cheese, but they’re okay with pizza. I dunno who’s kids they are because I used to melt cheese just for the sake of eating melted cheese. One doesn’t like eggs. One doesn’t like avocado. And I respect those preferences.

So because I allow them to have a few dislikes, they feel like they have some freedom of choice, and I’m not just over here forcing food down their throat just because I’m the parent.

I also, as we eat, talk about the risks and benefits of all the foods, good or bad, and what they can do to your body. I want them to have that knowledge so that later they can decide for themselves if eating a certain thing is worth it or not.

Some of you might not like the sound of this, but the reason your kids are picky, is because YOU ALLOW THEM TO BE! Kids are picky because they know they can get away with it and eventually get what they want. It is in your control to not let that happen. If you want them to eat what you make, you gotta keep making them try it. Again and again.

Most of the veggies my kids actually like now, they started out by thinking they’re gross. Some of which are green beans, brussels sprouts, zuchinni, asparagus, cauliflower, and SWEET POTATO! My son loves sweet potato. Like, I’m amazed! Nobody liked it in our house at first. Not even myself. But I knew how good it was so I kept trying it again and again. I tried different ways of cooking it. We had multiple times where it was a “oh no, sweet potato?” kinda mood. But over time we have learned to love it and now eat it on a regular basis.

That’s the same with any food. I know a family that has 10 kids and they all eat vegan, and to see the toddlers snacking on big mushrooms like its candy just makes me believe that it’s possible to learn to love any type of food. You just gotta give it some time. Don’t expect it to happen from the first try. (I started being okay with sushi after my 4th try and now I’m obsessed.)

So dont give up. Keep trying. Keep making it. Keep offering. They will eventually learn to love it. If you dont want your kids to be picky eaters, DON’T ALLOW IT. You got this.

I’m curious, what are some foods you would like your kids to eat, but they refuse? Let me know in the comments.