How can I encourage My 3 year old to eat a variety of foods?

Question

My 3 year old daughter used to eat anything I put in front of her, but now she is really fussy. To be honest the food she does eat is quite healthy- her absolute favourite is grilled salmon and boiled rice. I do tend to give her food I know she likes quite often as I just want her to have something to eat rather than her refusing food and going hungry. But it has come to the point now that I am having to cook one meal for myself and my husband and something different for my daughter and this can't go on. I am not a fan of veggies my self but I do love broccolli and cauliflower so I cook a lot of those so she can see me eating vegetables but she has got it into her head that she doesn't like them. Do other people cook different meals for their children if they are planning to eat something they know their children will not like, or do the children have the same as the adults and 'like it or lump it'?

Also if the child refuses to eat should I cook her something else or let her go to bed

Answer 1

some of these answers are unbeleiveable you cant make a  year old starve i agree with one of the answers by helping her cook because it worked with both my toddlers

Answer 2

First of all it's really important not to turn this into a big drama with your daughter as this will only make the problem worse. Try not to worry too much about it yourself, especially if you feel she is eating quite healthily and getting enough calories to grow. Most three year olds go through a fussy eating stage, it's partly their way of discovering their new found control of the world and what happens to them and it's partly to do with their tasebuds. Human childen are programmed genetically not to eat certain foods or unknown foods in order to stop themselves being poisoned (obviously this is a throwback to when we all lived in caves!). In some children this genetic programming kicks in more strongly than others.

Part of this programming is that foods tend to taste more bitter than they are (poisonous plants are bitter, which is why children like sweets so much and may explain why she is enjoying bland things like boiled rice). Try offering a range of foods that aren't too bitter to start with. Unfortunately green vegetables (particularly broccoli) is one of the worst offenders here. Try getting her into vegetables that perhaps you don't like yourself as carrots, peas and sweetcorn are all sweeter vegetables. I'm afraid this may involve you grinning as you eat some yourself, but it has to be worth it to get your daughter eating more vitamins and healthy foods!

If this isn't working I wouldn't advise just straight "all or nothing" ultimatums as this can turn food into a battle ground and make the problem worse. Offer a plate of foods with a mixture of things she likes and doesn't like (perhaps salmon with some different vegetables). Since reseach shows it takes children at least 15 tries of a food to get used to the taste there isn't really a quick fix. If she doesn't eat a food let her see you eating it (grin and bear it if you can't stand the taste unfortunately!) and encourage her briefly to try it then stop. Don't over worry about it or overly force it on her. Just keep putting something new on her plate everyday (e.g. carrots one day, then peas, then sausages, then carrots again, then sweetcorn, then peas etc.) with less of her usual meal so she feels some hunger for the new foods but isn't going without food. Don't worry if she starts playing with the new food or just licks it or something. After a couple of weeks if you feel progress really isn't being made start reducing her normal food slightly more and introduce a reward chart for new foods she tries, but again don't make a huge fuss about doing so.

Two final points. No snacks straight after/before meals. One mid morning/afternoon snack of something healthy is fine if she wants one (for a snack I would implement a tough "eat what you are offered or wait till the next meal" attitude, but offer her something healthy that she does actually like). Make sure this snack is at least 2 hours before the next meal though so she has time to work up a hunger for her meal in between. If you find her regularly asking for a snack at say 11am when lunch is at 12, try offering her a snack at about 10am whether she asks for one or not just to make sure she isn't going too hungry by 11am. Secondly getting her involved with more foods by growing them or helping to cook the meal can really encourage children to want to eat that food so whilst trying the above make sure you are letting her help you cook as well!

Hope some of this is a help to you. Good luck!

Answer 3

My mothers favourite saying was, Hunger is a great appetiser. If we didnt eat what was put in front of us it was put in front again until we ate it, no substitute.

Answer 4

No, I don't believe you should cook twice and we cannot have our favourite meals every day so neither can a child.

She wont go to bed hungry too many times before realising that she's been given food so better eat it whether it's her favourite or not.

Have you tried having a 'baby choses food day' where one day a week you all eat waht she choses?  Give her some input and she might go along with it.

Answer 5

With my 2 almost 3 year old she also got fussy what i did was take her favorite food and hid the veggies and other varieties in that food she just ate it haha also try maiking veggies with cheese and other stuff with a yummy topping it worked for me hope it works for you!!

Answer 6

have you tried letting her help you cook? just give her some sort of job to do while your cooking, for example ask her to wash some cauiflower then put in a pan if your doing them, get her to help you get things out the freeze that kind of thing

Answer 7

Hmmm...good question.

Maybe try using different condiments and sauces on the veggies? And make sure she eats fruit-give her that instead of candy and sweets.

If I refused to eat when I was that age, yes, my mother and grandmother did let me go hungry. Not out of abuse, but frankly, most of the time, it was all we had. So she needs to eat what you cook. If she's hungry enough, she'll eat. Remember, she is just 3! When she's a bill-paying, meal cooking teen or young adult, THEN she can pick and choose what she wants to eat LOL!

Good Luck!

Answer 8

Probably what you should do is just stop buying the food she likes, so she'll have to have the other foods. Or maybe having a talk with her where you explain that if she continues having the food that she likes then ... a tree will grow on her head or something like that. Hope this helped, good luck.

Answer 9

my mum always cooked me something different if i didnt like what she or my dad was having. your taste buds change as you get older, this is why she isnt eating anything you put down infront of her. you cant expect her to have the same taste in food as you and your husband. i bet you and your husband discuss what you's are having for dinner and both agree,  but your daughter doesnt get a say. would you like it if your husband put down something you didnt like and told you you had to eat it. as long as she is eating a variaty of healthy foods then i would give her a choice. thats just what i think anyway, good luck

Answer 10

My 3 nephew was convinced that all he liked to eat was chicken. So what we started doing was convincing him that what he was eating was indeed chicken. We'd serve him "Chickenpork" (aka porkchops) "Chickenburgers" (hamburgers) "Chickenroas" (potroast) And things like that. He never had a problem with veggies though, he LOVES broccoli and his most favorite is collard greens. What you should do is ask her if she'll help you make dinner (Measure out ingredients, stir stuff) And she'll feel like she's helping and then that will make her want to eat what she "Made". This worked for my nephew too.

Answer 11

My daughter eats the same as us around 80% of the time.

The only time I cook her a separate meal is when it is something I know she won't eat like hot chilli or curry.

I have the 'you have to at least try it' rule (afterall, there are foods I don't like) and she is pretty good.

Answer 12

I think your kid has you trained!  If you have to cook a special meal for her EVERY night that is a bit much.  Of course there are nights where the kids aren't going to want what you cook, but this shouldn't be happening every night...  I would cook a variety and let her eat what she wants.  As long as she is getting something in her and it is of good nutrition she will be fine.  Also, yes I will cook something else for my girls if what I cook just doesn't do it for them and they at least try it before they say no...  They are people too and have the right to have a choice in what is for their dinner :) Good luck!

Answer 13

My son is like that. he is 2 1/2 if he doesn't eat, he doesn't eat!

one rule i do allow in my house is my kids can ALWAYS have fresh fruit and veggies. it is with in grabbing reach in my fridige and they can help themselves, (if they eat too much fruit that day, i put that out of reach so all they can get is veggies)

sometimes he will eat if i put a little salt on his food, he thinks salt is great!!  I have to make sure he sees me do it though or he won't believe me.

also, i have noticed he likes his food alot more if he helps me cook it.

Answer 14

Try setting out a "buffet" or "salad bar" and let her choose what to put on her plate.  This way you will avoid a power struggle.  I have 5 children.  My oldest (21) was picky as soon as I started her on solid foods.  I used to trick her into eating vegetables by putting applesauce on the tip of the spoon.  It was always a power struggle and now she is a horrible eater and very overweight.  I let my other children choose what to eat and we do not have the same issues with them.  Choose your battles wisely!