Any hope from parents of long term picky eaters?

[Anonymous]

If she’s eating shrimp and lox at 10, she’s really not that picky.

[Anonymous]

My brother and my husband were both picky eaters into their 20s. Neither are adventurous now but both very healthy eaters who enjoy tons of vegetables and non processed foods and can try new things. Don’t stress, just continue to offer healthy options and model healthy eating and they will come around...or not...and you’ll have done your part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what's the problem? Is the child losing weight? Not growing?

OP here. No she is tall and a healthy weight. I’m just a worrier and think it would be problematic to eat like this as an adult. Imagine going on a date in college or young adulthood. She rarely eats what is served at family events (not an issue during Covid) and once her friends stop serving pizza for parties, she’ll need to be able to eat something else. Also her diet is full of carbs and dairy and not enough vegetables and whole grain.

And yes I know this is not as picky as some kids are.

But let’s say we came to your house and you served grilled chicken, rice and asparagus. A perfectly nice normal dinner. She would have none of that.

Sounds like my 7 year old, down to the foods themselves. No answers here. He is gradually expanding what he'll eat. He now eats white rice. He'll eat more if I offer furikake with it (basically flavored salt)! I had to bribe him to taste it the first time. He recently started eating lox. He managed to get down a small bite of halibut without gagging. I paid him 25 cents for that and he conceded that maybe next time he'd eat two bites. I figure by the time he goes off to college he'll eat. My cousin's kid literally ate hot dogs and eggs for years. At 13 he suddenly started eating salad. At 20 he eats anything.

And to the snarky poster with the spices, yeah, no. Everything i cook is highly spiced -- if not actually spicy. (Though plenty is also spicy; I love spicy food and when I was pregnant with DS, I ate massive amounts of Indian food and put red pepper flakes on everything I cooked.) DS specifies that he wants it plain. The plainer the better. It's crazy to me; I hate plain food. His 3 year old sister eats what I cook, but DS never has, even as a baby.

[Anonymous]

I became a non-picky eater around 15/16. After I started smoking...so you could try that.

[Anonymous]

My picky eater suddenly got much better starting around age 13. He’s 15 now and will try almost anything. So much better than he was a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all. This actually does make me feel a lot better. I’m glad I posted (and I can’t always say that on DCUM!)

[Anonymous]

OP, my 16 yr old is still a very picky eater. He eats maybe 5 protein varieties, one fruit, no veggies unless forced (and then he only eats broccoli) and any carb out there. He has been slowly adding things to his diet. This is mostly because of school lunches (his school is doing hybrid and he buys lunch with his friends), and pre-Covid he hung out with his youth group and did venture out of his food comfort zone. He will eat whatever is in front of him if he is truly starving, but if he didn’t like it we hear about it for MONTHS. The only food he refuses consistently is fish. I honestly have never pushed it because I don’t like fish and only eat it under duress. my DH always pushed new foods at him and it always backfired. I’ve always taken a live and let live attitude as long as he got a balanced diet (yes I’m the mom that used to hide the vegetables in the food). Really, this is up to him now. I have a funny feeling that he will venture out even more as he matures. He probably will not have a really varied diet, but it won’t be as restrictive as it has been.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We cook a lot and we cook many different cuisines. Pre-pandemic, we loved to go to new and different restaurants. My kids love eating out and so they have tried and found something to appreciate in all the different cuisines they have tried.

It is interesting that even the picky eater at home is far less picky when dining out? DC1 is a picky eater, DC2 eats every thing. Through exposure to different cuisines they have found enough things that they like. Buttered noodles, mac and cheese...all of this sounds utterly uninspiring. You need to step up your spice game and I am sure your kids will find your food appetizing.

The reason is that restaurant food is full of fat, salt, and sugar. This is why your kids enjoy dining out. It creates a situation where healthy food tastes awful because the tastebud have been so dulled by that onslaught of salt and sugar.

[Anonymous]

OP, if it gives you hope, the pickiest eater in my extended family (the only fruit or vegetable he consumed as a kid was corn, and it drove me nuts at the time) is now a totally adventurous eater who loves to cook. And ironically, he eats vegetarian more often than not.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who has older kids 19, 15 and 12. Her rules never change . You eat what I give you for dinner or you sit there till it’s gone. Anything over 30 minutes after others are done is a strike from her belt. Every 30 minutes they sit extra the belt hitting doubles. It’s been years since she has had to use the belt at meal time.

[Anonymous]

Firstly you need to stop calling this kid "picky" or "fussy". She probably has a more developed sensitivity to taste and / or texture than the rest of you.

My DS won't eat certain things and is allergic to other things. If I can't build a family meal around him I make sure that he has alternatives.

FFS it is not that hard.

[Anonymous]

My picky eater is doing a bit better in college. Due to covid the dining options are very restricted. 3 choices at each meal. 1 is vegan. No serve yourself from a variety of stations. She did buy herself a hot pot and noodles to supplement but had to branch out a bit.

[Anonymous]

It depends. Some people never outgrow it, while others do. Your child can still grow up to be a healthy individual, though.

I have always been notoriously finicky, but I am a fairly healthy eater.

I don't eat:

Meat
Eggs (eggs cooked into food is fine, though)
Most condiments-- ketchup, mayonnaise, butter, syrup,, most salad dressings, cream cheese,, sour cream, etc.
Potatoes
Most bread
Asparagus
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Kiwi

I eat a lot of beans, edamame, apples, oranges, bananas, pears, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, green beans, spinach, red peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, rice, pasta, cheese, quinoa, lentils, yogurt, and plain salads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who has older kids 19, 15 and 12. Her rules never change . You eat what I give you for dinner or you sit there till it’s gone. Anything over 30 minutes after others are done is a strike from her belt. Every 30 minutes they sit extra the belt hitting doubles. It’s been years since she has had to use the belt at meal time.

Your friend is abusive. My mom’s parents did this to her as well. She vowed never to abuse her own children, thank goodness.

[Anonymous]

I am 37 and still waiting to be not picky. I traveled abroad (Western Europe/Central American only, granted) and went to sleep away camps. I was hungry a lot, and people often assumed I was anorexic, but that’s the worst thing that has happened to me as a result.

She will learn to navigate things like dates and friends’ houses. It will be awkward sometimes but she will be fine.