From my upcoming post on Rice Daddies:
I saw this Omamas post on the topic of picky eaters. It’s a podcast that provides advice on how to get your kid to eat a balanced diet. According to Connie Warner, the dietician, one should not force one’s children to eat, one should not bribe kids with other foods, and one should not allow children to snack too much throughout the day. I’m guilty of the first two.
This is a popular topic, as I saw Kimchi Mamas had a different take on the issue just last month.
I guess we all have our theories and practices, and I suppose there is no single correct answer. As for me, I’m probably in between the Omamas dietician and the Kimchi Mama, but I probably lean somewhat towards the Kimchi Mama. I will sometimes heat up something different if I know my son will absolutely refuse to eat what we’re eating, but I will ask my son to try different things, and I will pressure him to a certain degree. My reason is this: it’s not just about diet. It’s about respecting the different foods that nourish us, and it’s about learning to like different tastes. I actually find it hard to go out with people who are very picky eaters, and I’d prefer that my children have a wide range of foods that they are able to eat. Enjoying a wide range of foods, I believe, opens up a wide range of social and cultural opportunities in life.
No related posts.
I used to fret over this whole feeding dilemma and “feed what you eat” camp vs. “make special food for kids” camp arguments did NOT help. I was a picky eater… but being forced to eat certain foods for which I hadn’t developed a taste gave me so much stress as a kid at each meal time. You know what? I hated kimchi as a little kid. I developed a taste for it once we moved from Korea to Bangladesh and it was only available once in a while… and my parents stopped forcing me to eat it. I’ve always loved spinach. LN does too, as long as it’s made a certain way.
Point is… Yes, I am envious of those parents who have kids who will eat just about anything. I have accepted the fact that LN might be like me and have maybe texture or strong flavor aversions. So I just introduce certain aversion foods now and then, let her take her time getting over whatever it is, and she’s come a long way.
However, in order to make sure she eats nutrious and balanced meals, I’ve had to work around her tastebuds and aversions as far as making meals. She doesn’t eat anything that I would deem not delicious (since I’ve gotten over MY picky eating habits) and we eat the things that she would eat.
There was a controversy over “hiding” certain ingredients for your kids to eat. I don’t understand why all these sanctimonious parents got pissed off. Perhaps because they don’t understand how tastebuds develop but wanted to exercise their right to judge other parents?
So far, what I chose to do with MY daughter has worked. She loves Tandoori chicken as much as she loves buffalo wings (mild sauce). She loves tofu in a Korean chigae. She will eat kalbi but not bbq ribs. She will eat vegetable sides made Korean style but won’t eat steamed plain vegetables. The other day, she realized that she didn’t really mind carrots anymore.
She does eat a variety of foods. She just won’t eat anything and everything you might put in front of her. I don’t think of it as a personality disorder – but just a process of growing.
Sure, LN is a picky eater – but she doesn’t eat junk food. And she’s never stressed out coming to the dinner table. She knows that each food item is there for her to try and see if she likes it – not for her to be forced into submission. I am confident that, like me, she will develop a taste for a wider range of foods as long as she is exposed to different things continuously.
(Phew! I guess I did have a lot to say about this.)
Thanks, MN! Wow, it looks like you do have lots to say about the topic. Great to hear!
Taste buds indeed change–the little guy likes something one minute, and then changes his mind the next. He’ll say, “I love X,” and the next minute he’ll say, “I don’t like X.” It’s like the weather. The Supernanny recommends getting your kid to try stuff. She says that if he really hates it, you’ll see it on his face. I also hide stuff in foods that he likes (although this changes from minute to minute!).
Anyway, I usually don’t force him to eat anything he hates. I think I’m more or less doing what you’re doing, so hopefully he’ll develop a taste for lots of different foods as he gets older.
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