Overall, BeBe eats a variety of healthy foods, but it makes me crazy when she goes through a picky eating phase! Sometimes, it’s only a week and then she moves on. But any longer than that, I’ve learned we need to pull out our old tricks. Here’s are the picky eating tricks which have worked well for us in the past.

Toddler Stage:

  • I learned quickly whatever momma has my little ones wants when BeBe, as a toddler, or our little guy, refused to eat foods they previously loved. I’ve learned to no longer push them to eat it in their high chair. I just put the food I want them to eat in a bowl for me, and sit down to relax on the couch. Inevitably, little hands start reaching for apple slices, and then it’s their favorite food again.

Preschool Stage:

  • At this age I let BeBe pick out the fruit she wanted at the store. Then she would help me wash it, and cut it up (with my supervision). She loved making her own snack, and usually ate well.
  • Sprinkles on everything! Sprinkles seem to make every food tastier for my kiddo. Bebe has put a few sprinkles in her soup, stew, fruit, and vegetables. It doesn’t sound appetizing to me. However, she loved it and ate the food without a fuss.
  • Enticing her with a treat. If I know she is really hungry, and I want her to eat well, I’m not opposed to enticing her with a treat.

Five Year-Old Stage:

  • Taste testing – I encourage her to put a little on her spoon and taste the food, but she doesn’t have to take a bite. We pretend we are at a fancy restaurant having a taste test. This works best for introducing new foods. We always have a cup of milk ready, in case she needs a quick drink if she doesn’t like the taste.

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  • She’s outgrown the sprinkle trick, but we introduced seasonings. If she says she doesn’t like a food. We let her choose which seasoning will make it taste better. Then she shakes a little pepper, oregano, or Parmesan cheese on her food. This one has worked really well for us.
  • This is more of rule: picky eaters pick off their own food. She’s old enough now to clearly declare her likes and dislikes. She was adamant that she did not like cheese on pizza. I told her that was ok, but I wasn’t going to pick it off for her. However, she is welcome to do it herself. She held firm for a few weeks, picking off cheese, but then declared it too much work. Now she eats cheese on her pizza and likes it. There are still a few foods she doesn’t care to eat, which I can appreciate. I don’t want to force her to eat something she truly dislikes. Thankfully, we managed to get through the picky eating phases and successfully introduce her to new foods.

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Which tricks have helped your little one with picky eating?