Picky eating linked to demanding Parents who limit foods, study says

[MULTIZ321]

Picky eating linked to demanding Parents who limit foods, study says.

Picky eating linked to demanding parents who limit foods, study says | CNN

Want to raise a non-picky eater? Stop demanding your child eat and stop restricting the foods they do eat, a new study says.

www.cnn.com

Richard

 

[bbodb1]

Obviously, this study did NOT take into account the ravenous teenage boys who are superior to Houdini in making food disappear from the refrigerator....
If it was edible (and in their proximity), it was gone!

About the only rules we had while all our kids lived at home was if it was on the table, you had to eat some of it. And if we ate out, there would be no ordering of chicken and fries at a Mexican restaurant for example. They had to try something from the specialty of the particular restaurant. I am certain my kids learned to appreciate spice and taste in foods by visits to out of the ordinary restaurants. I vividly recall the look in the eye of our oldest when he visited a Mongolian restaurant and was encouraged to heap food on his plate (he thought he has in heaven) and he did so. Watching the cooking process (on an open wok) fascinated him and he quickly learned the variety of Mongolian sauces. Letting them order from the 'adult' menu no doubt helped as well.

 

[geist1223]

Obviously, this study did NOT take into account the ravenous teenage boys who are superior to Houdini in making food disappear from the refrigerator....
If it was edible (and in their proximity), it was gone!

About the only rules we had while all our kids lived at home was if it was on the table, you had to eat some of it. And if we ate out, there would be no ordering of chicken and fries at a Mexican restaurant for example. They had to try something from the specialty of the particular restaurant. I am certain my kids learned to appreciate spice and taste in foods by visits to out of the ordinary restaurants. I vividly recall the look in the eye of our oldest when he visited a Mongolian restaurant and was encouraged to heap food on his plate (he thought he has in heaven) and he did so. Watching the cooking process (on an open wok) fascinated him and he quickly learned the variety of Mongolian sauces. Letting them order from the 'adult' menu no doubt helped as well.

Our rule long ago for all kids both at home and eating at someone else's house was you had to have one bite when presented something new. If youtried it and did not like it there was always peanut butter and bread. We took them to a great variety of restaurants (Thai, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican, various Chinese, German, etc) and always ate the cuisine.

As for how teenage boys eat, my folks had the three of us all just one year separate in school. Mom would have to fry two chickens and make lots of mashed potatoes for Sunday dinner. But there was always room for one more plate if one of our friends dropped by about dinner time. I remember once the friend was being very polite on how much he took as the serving bowls and plates were passed around the table. My Dad finally stopped and told him you had better take the amount you want because it is unlikely the serving bowl or plate would come around a second time.

 

[DrQ]

When we would go on trips, I would try to stop a local restaurants rather than fast food - if there was a choice. The kids would whine and cry, but then they would "discover" new things and if we drove through the town again, it was usually; "Let's go THERE again!"

 

[klpca]

None of my kids are picky eaters. I chalk it up to what they ate as older babies/toddlers - I had a food mill and whatever we had for dinner is what they had. Spaghetti - ground spaghetti. Enchiladas - ground enchiladas. All cooked vegetables can be run through the food mill. As can beans, pasta, eggs etc. It all went into the food mill. Any non ground meat was cut into small enough pieces. Mostly I did it because it was easier for me, lol, and it the long run it was easier all the way around. As they got older I had no problems making things taste good - cheese sauce on broccoli, butter and slivered almonds on green beans. I figured that if they had a positive association with food we would all be better off in the long run.

Also, when we weren't home it was a rule that you had to try a small bite or two of everything on the table. Sometimes it takes a few times to develop a "taste" for something. And it's ok if you don't like it after you have tried a few times. I get that. But always encourage trying new things. It still drives me nuts when we are out with friends and they order plain buttered pasta for their kids. I understand that they don't want to have a fight on their hands in a restaurant, but giving into those kids on food was a mistake, imo. Someday those kids will be in a place where they have to eat something weird. That's just life. I truly despise fish but it's not for lack of trying. When you go over to people's houses or out to dinner at a seafood restaurant you have to eat it. I've been doing it for over 50 years, still don't like it but I can eat enough to make it acceptable (and let's face it, I am barely getting it down but no one knows).

 

[Luanne]

I have one pretty picky eater. Most of what she won't eat is due to the texture of the food. We always made our dds try a food (the way I was raised as well). But we didn't limit their choices.

 

[DrQ]

We are all big vegetable lovers.

 

[bbodb1]

We are all big vegetable lovers.

Something that has been a game changer for mw has been grilled vegetables- especially asparagus.
Man that grilled taste brings out a whole new set of possibilities!

 

[klpca]

Something that has been a game changer for mw has been grilled vegetables- especially asparagus.
Man that grilled taste brings out a whole new set of possibilities!

I have always hated (accurate) brussel sprouts. However, carmelized with shallots in a cast iron skillet then finishing in the oven for 10 or 15 min, and topped with a balsamic reduction has changed my mind completely.

 

[Jan M.]

The best way I can think of to describe a key factor in what a child eats is unspoken expectations. If you are a decent cook and put a well rounded meal in front of your child expecting that they will eat it, generally they will unless it's a food they really detest. I just recently read how many tries it can take to become accustomed to a new taste or texture. I don't remember the number just that you shouldn't expect a child to like something the first time they try it. It make take several mealtimes of trying a bite or two to get them used to eating something. Almost everyone has a few things they really dislike and unless a child has an extensive list of things they refuse to eat I don't see a problem with cutting them some slack about the few things.

Our son was a good eater but had two things he hated. Ham loaf and mayonnaise/Miracle Whip. The one thing made with mayonnaise that he ate and really liked was my potato salad. Because he didn't like mayonnaise/Miracle Whip that meant no tuna or chicken salad. A couple of years ago he was at a nicer restaurant for lunch and the chicken salad looked delicious so he ordered it. Afterwards he called me to tell me about how good it was and I asked "Who are you and what have you done with my son?" I told him about how my father always told us that as we got older our tastes would change and we would find we liked things we didn't like when we were younger. I would have bet that there was absolutely nothing that could ever make me like chicken livers. I won't go into the details but I was persuaded to try a bite of one at the Watermark restaurant in Naples, FL. We now order them as our appetizer every time we go there. But that is the only place I will eat them.

We lived in Butler, PA from the time DS was almost 3 until he was 24. There is a meat store called Brose's that makes their own ham loaves and meat loaves. Both are excellent. Back when we moved to Butler, PA, the Welcome Wagon lady came to visit and one of the things you got was a coupon for a 2 lb. ham loaf from Brose's. DH's mother wasn't a good cook and her ham loaf consisted of more bread or cracker crumbs and thumb sized chunks of carrots than ham. We never had ham loaf at our house so I was leery of trying it based on DH's opinion of ham loaf. The other women I met through the Welcome Wagon group talked about how good the ham loaf was so eventually one day I decided to use the coupon. I figured if we absolutely hated it then there was always toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. DH and I both really liked it and because it was 2 lbs. that meant leftovers for yummy sandwiches. DS didn't particularly like ham but eventually came to really detested ham loaf. We would only have it twice a year because of him and if there were leftovers of something else he could eat he was welcome to have them instead. He is now 34 and will gladly tell anyone who will listen the horrors of his childhood in being served ham loaf.

 

[DrQ]

Our son was a good eater but had two things he hated. Ham loaf and mayonnaise/Miracle Whip. The one thing made with mayonnaise that he ate and really liked was my potato salad. Because he didn't like mayonnaise/Miracle Whip that meant no tuna or chicken salad. A couple of years ago he was at a nicer restaurant for lunch and the chicken salad looked delicious so he ordered it. Afterwards he called me to tell me about how good it was and I asked "Who are you and what have you done with my son?" I told him about how my father always told us that as we got older our tastes would change and we would find we liked things we didn't like when we were younger. I would have bet that there was absolutely nothing that could ever make me like chicken livers. I won't go into the details but I was persuaded to try a bite of one at the Watermark restaurant in Naples, FL. We now order them as our appetizer every time we go there. But that is the only place I will eat them.

I had to laugh at this one. My mom ruined mayonnaise for me. She always called Miracle Whip mayonnaise. I HATE Miracle Whip, mayonnaise, not so much. I still react STRONGLY when I find it on my hamburger, I like it on chicken and made into tarter sauce on fish.

 

[normab]

Not sure this is valid for all picky eaters. I am one and only was picky for foods that made me gag while growing up. Now I eat lots of food but am picky about preparation.

My son was picky too, and I sympathized and made allowances and made foods he liked. I only started adding other foods when he was older, and didn’t push him other than to tell him. to try it.. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, he is a better eater but is picky about the prep..

 

[Luanne]

I had to laugh at this one. My mom ruined mayonnaise for me. She always called Miracle Whip mayonnaise. I HATE Miracle Whip, mayonnaise, not so much. I still react STRONGLY when I find it on my hamburger, I like it on chicken and made into tarter sauce on fish.

I've always said I don't like mayonnaise. But I would eat it in tuna salad, chicken salad, on BLT's, as a dip for artichokes. But I didn't like tartar sauce or mayo on my hamburger or any other sandwich (besides the BLT). But I've noticed my tastes have changed. I still don't eat it on sandwiches, but I do like tarter sauce and I love aioli (which is basically mayonnaise). I even like to dip my French fries in aioli.

 

[geekette]

Miracle Whip ... I always thought it would be fun to be in the naming business (most fun would be med names, can't wait for Happify or DontBeBummed to show up...)

But, Miracle? pbbbt, I don't think so...

Mom always bought it. When I went to college, I found real mayo and have not gone back. I could not believe how much better sandwiches tasted! I can do without the miracle of twang. I can always add twang if I need it.

Weird that Miracle Whip is marketed as "salad dressing" as it will never make it to a normal green salad of mine. tuna salad, potato salad, sure. But when I think of "salad dressing", I think of the bottles of French, Ranch, Italian, Blue Cheese, Thousand Island.... and it never made sense that "salad dressing" would go on bread before the meat, cheese, etc. I don't do that with Ranch or Thousand Island...

this is the kind of thing that drives this overly literal person a bit nuts....

 

[clifffaith]

My college roommate wouldn't eat fruit. I suspect she didn't eat vegetables either, but by now I can't remember. But fruit? Any fruit? Who doesn't eat fruit? I found that totally bizarre. Cracked me up when her boyfriend all through high school and college dumped her, and the new-boyfriend-soon-to-be-husband set up a romantic evening of strawberries, chocolate and champagne. She gagged the strawberries down that night, but came clean about her dislike of fruit shortly thereafter.

 

[rapmarks]

My sister won’t eat anything that she didn’t eat as a child. She won’t try anything, fish, quiche, vegetables. If we go out to eat, she orders steak, a hamburger or a roast beef sandwich.