so tired of very limited range of foods my kids will eat....

[Anonymous]

I just checked out the book "Dinner: The Playbook" by Jenny Rosenstrach. I didn't read most if it, but the recipes I have tried are easily adapted to our picky eaters- a good way to gently expand their horizons. We also deconstruct a lot of meals. My kids don't like vegetables mixed into things but will eat them separate. It can be a pain to cook that way, but it gets them to eat things they would otherwise reject.

[Anonymous]

OP, do you know how to cook good food? Because if you're the person who boils lettuce by itself without any seasonings, I feel sorry for your kid. But if you're a good cook, keep trying and don't give in.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world"
- Mahatma Gandhi
(Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi)

[Anonymous]

Stop trying so hard, OP. You're making a battle when you don't need to.

Introduce new foods at the same time as the old stand-bys. Encourage a bite, but don't respond if they don't like it or say, "Yuck." Don't take it personally.

BTW, my really adventurous eater hated casseroles and only recently started eating mac n cheese. So start simple.

Also buy a cook book like Pretend Soup and get them involved in cooking. Make it fun!

[Anonymous]

OP here, a belated thank you to everyone who posted recipes, tips, encouragement. I have put a couple of them into place.

one new item: quinoa with pesto. They love pasta with pesto, so it went over okay, after the requisite wrinkled noses and sighs.

I did a very mild moroccan chicken that went okay as well, if not a favorite.

one of my kid eats lots of salad, so there's that, and they both eat a couple veggies regularly and all fruit.


I'll keep trying--and I'm going to try that soup recipe that the mom with a 2, 4 and newborn took time she really doesn't have to post (thank you!!!!!!!! so generous).


I have tried the 'go to bed' hungry but DH is not in agreement. So one banana is always available as a pre-bedtime snack. anything more than that and its something from dinner.

its nice to hear from people whose kids became less picky with time. I remember eating escargot at 4 (we lived in europe) and well, basically eating what was served--except liver. I refused that and remember a big battle, because I refused very little. I took a tiny bite and threw up.

[Anonymous]

What liver did you eat?