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Original poster

If your children are good, non-fussy eaters

107 replies

ProgressPenguin · 12/08/2018 19:01

How did they get that way?

My DC are really fussy, eat a limited range of foods and hate vegetables. Now they’re both well into primary school age I want to
Improve things, and I’m just wondering what the most effective way is

OP posts:

IHaveBrilloHair · 12/08/2018 19:05

Fed her anything and everything, expected her to try everything properly, didn't make a fuss, ate with her and the biggest factor, probably got lucky!
She's almost 17 now and is a great eater, she's also my only child so I've no other to compare.

Centreparcsooheer · 12/08/2018 19:08

Neither of mine are fussy. From babies they always ate what we are and this continues now. There are things they aren't keen on (they don't like mushrooms so pick them out of things I cook) but generally eat what's shoved in front of them!

From a young age they'd be involved cooking the meals, preparing by chopping stirring etc. They would always want to eat what they had made so was a good way of introducing new things.

We also have the rule that you must try but will never be made to eat it if you don't like it!

We have loads of cooking magazines and they will go through and choose things they want to try.

I do think I've been lucky with mine (I'm not fussy either) and don't think it's all down to what we did.

Atetoomanyjaffacakes · 12/08/2018 19:08

Gave mine a wide range of foods from an early age and never made a huge fuss if they refused to eat something. If they refuse food I never offer an alternative, they eat or go hungry until the next meal time.

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Caselgarcia · 12/08/2018 19:21

Both my teenagers are good eaters. Not sure if it was luck or not but we never made a fuss about 'good' or 'unhealthy' food when they were small. They are what we did and they had a wide range of meals. If they didn't like something, it wasn't replaced with something else. I just asked them to leave it on the side of their plate. We never made a fuss about food.
It annoyed me when GP's made a fuss about eating 'your greens', the kids would eat veg but GPS banging on about it at every meal made me wonder if doing that makes kids not eat it!

JustlikeDevon · 12/08/2018 19:24

I read Ann article before I weaned mine which said that the more foods they tried before about a year old, the better they would eat when older. I duly tried pretty much everything pre 1. Probably mostly luck but she eats anything. Plus i think it depends what kind of cook/buyer /eater you are as a parent.

UserX · 12/08/2018 19:38

Never make a fuss about whether they eat or not. Always have one item available that they will eat: rice, bread, carrots etc so they can fill up. Tell them what everything is and let them decide if they will eat it. Make sure everyone gets their favorites regularly

DD1 is an adventurous eater, DD2 is not picky but has been through some trying times with eating. At one point I made the rule that you don’t have to eat anything on your plate but you are not allowed to burst into tears at the sight of it.

Make mealtimes enjoyable, sit with your children and talk about anything except what or how much they are eating.

Susiesue61 · 12/08/2018 19:38

My eldest wasnt great when he was lottle but has added things as he's got older and all 3 now eat most things. Ive accepted tbere are some things they won't eat - DD is away for a few days and so me and the boys have just had sausage and mash cos she will not eat that 😁

flippyflapper · 12/08/2018 19:39

1st childhood Ds 15 I went by the book literally steamed organic everything blended, purred my life away. Nrver had same dinners as us as i added salt etc. He was and still is so fussy it drives me insane don't ever thing he has eaten a vegtavlenin his life no matter what I tried and god I tried, I used to get so upset.

Other children was what we were eating they were. I didn't have the time to steam and puree all day. They will eat anything and everything. If i was out they got pouches (when babies) where as the first one ds 15 I wouldn't of dared given him anything that wasn't organic crap I laugh now as when he isnit with friends he lives off kfc and McDonald's. I was such a weirdo. Strangely enough my other's don't like fast food much I mean they will eat it if it's last resort and we out but prefer my cooking which is a bonus.

My advice would be don't let it take over, be calm about it offer no alternative and hope for the best.

flippyflapper · 12/08/2018 19:40

Gosh sorry for typos there

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 12/08/2018 19:40

One is (majorly), one isn't.
I have no idea. I can think of worse things.
Just getting the fussy one to eat ANY shape of plain pasta, not just X shape, was a one year project.

piefacedClique · 12/08/2018 19:41

I have one fussy and one who will eat absolutely anything! Octopus carpaccio being a fave! It’s just luck I think xxx

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 12/08/2018 19:42

P.S: Having said this, it is slowly improving. Fussy one is now 10 and will actually try new things (tiny sample) when encouraged. Rarely likes it but no hysterics any more.
Happy to bake/cook anything. Just doesn't want to eat it.

Catspyjamazzzz · 12/08/2018 19:45

DDs best friend will eat literally ANYTHING, her sister will eat nothing.

I know a few siblings like that (same with my own). I think sometimes it’s just how you are.

I was very fussy as a child. I am not now at all, however I still hate my parents food.

dangermouseisace · 12/08/2018 19:47

I have 1 fussy, another less fussy and another will try anything!

I don’t know how or why it’s turned out like this. I think going to school dinners has helped the less fussy kids. I tend to make a variety of stuff and always have bread/plain veg so everyone can eat something.

mayhew · 12/08/2018 19:49

It's mainly temperament, I think. Which is often inherited.
However, I've watched slightly apprehensive eaters become full scale fussy by unconfident parents, who panic at gagging or spitting out with babies and toddlers, suggesting they won't like things and dance around offering alternative meals, so a child rarely has the experience of a family calmly eating the same thing together.
The best tip I have is that a food has to be tried three times before anyone decides they don't like it.

Peanutbuttercups21 · 12/08/2018 19:50

Well, it is not all due to parenting OP

I have one mega fussy eater

And one who eats anything

Same parents, same upbringing

Just make sure your kids learn to not say things like " yuck that's disgusting" or "ewww!" Taught mine to say "thanks, it is delicious but I'm not very hungry"... that worked well, mostly

PepsiColaWentToTown · 12/08/2018 19:51

Pure luck tbh.

huggybear · 12/08/2018 19:53

It's all luck.

BackforGood · 12/08/2018 20:01

If I knew the answer, I woldn't have 2 that are great eaters and will eat almost everything, and then the middle one who is a right fusspot.
As others have said, a lot of it is down to luck!

Rockandrollwithit · 12/08/2018 20:04

Mainly luck.

DS is 4 and will eat literally anything. His favourite vegetable is spinach. The only thing I know of that he doesn't like is mackerel. We do a lot of cooking together and we all eat as a family. He gets a smaller portion of whatever DH and I are having.

But I think you could do all of that and still have a fussy eater. I was a super fussy eater as a child and it's taken a lot of training as an adult to eat a normal diet. I don't think my parents did anything wrong with me, it's just the way I was.

thaegumathteth · 12/08/2018 20:06

Ds was honestly the fussiest eater imaginable.

Dd never was.

I didn’t do anything differently with them! Ds is 11 now and probably the least fussy of his friends. Won’t eat curry or beans but eats most other things. He came to it in his own time. He always had some food on his plate he would eat and I really tried to avoid stress around food. I always gave him new things over and over and over and over again. Tbh I just think he was never that hungry so couldn’t be bothered eating anything that wasn’t his absolute favourite.

ploppymoodypants · 12/08/2018 20:13

Yep I think it’s luck. I was the most fussy child and had real anxiety about dinner time as dad used to get so cross if I didn’t eat what he thought was nice (which was always over cooked meat and potatoes).

As an adult I am really adventurous and will each pretty much anything. Love food from around the world and can’t really think of anything I don’t like. I just grew out of it once I had control of my own diet.

DD was given a v wide range of foods from 6 months and did baby led weaning. She isn’t fussy but eats v little of anything v much. She was 5 before she would eat any potato product, despite it being offered several times a week in various formats, and only in the last 2 weeks has she eaten her first sandwich, which she wouldn’t contemplate before. (Making pack lunches a bit of a nuisance).
So basically she will eat pretty much anything you serve at dinner even if it’s unfamiliar looking food in a restaurant abroad. But basically eats about 10 mouthfuls. This is the same even if it’s ice cream

formerbabe · 12/08/2018 20:18

My dc are fussy! But they do eat vegetables. I always put veg on their plates for every meal...even if they didnt eat, it gets them used to it being part of every meal. Even if we're having a lazy dinner of frozen pizza, I'll cut up a cucumber or carrot into strips to eat with it. Even if they ask for a snack, I'll cut up some veg to go alongside it.

AndreasFault · 12/08/2018 20:20

Ate a wide variety of home prepared meals as a family and had a three spoon rule - as long as they had three spoons of everything on their plate they got ad lib fruit for dessert so no one went hungry.

Still do the same now age 12 and 14!

2up2manydown · 12/08/2018 20:21

Glad to see a few posters have admitted the truth: they got lucky.

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