Dear Jully1,

You are not alone as a parent who has tried everything to get their child to eat fruits and vegetables to no avail! Most kids seem to go through a phase when they are picky eaters and as they grow they will branch out and try new foods. However there are also stories of young children who grew up eating a select few foods for most of their toddler and preschools years. Many of those kids do change as they grow but some of these children will tend to stay this way and have set preferences for certain foods for many years to come.

Children's taste buds are much more sensitive than adults. Kids usually have to build up a tolerance for spicy foods or highly seasoned foods. Kids, like adults are also creatures of habit. When a child is not exposed to different foods they may have a difficult time trying them because they are so different to what they are used to. You can continue to offer different food choices to your child. It has been said that it can take up to 20 times of offering the food to the child before they are confident enough to try it.

Another approach some parents have success with is "sneaking" healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits into their children's foods. Jessica Seinfeld has written a cookbook exclusively on this subject: "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food". The author uses purees of broccoli, squash, carrots, etc and incorporates them into casseroles and other favorite family recipes. The recipes include ways to use seasonings and other ingredients to enhance flavors as well.

You can also speak with your daughter's pediatrician next time you are in. As long as your daughter is growing and gaining appropriate weight, and you are providing overall healthy meals for her, even though she does not prefer vegetables and fruit, there should not be a serious concern.

Our Hotline is here for parents of children of all ages. We can be reached by phone or by e-mail, 24 hours, 7 days a week. We also have a wonderful website for parents: www.parenting.org

Feel free to contact us with any parenting concern or question. Take care and best wishes to you and your family!

Sincerely,

Cynthia, Counselor
Boys Town National Hotline
1-800-448-3000
hotline@boystown.org