A shout-out to all my fellow moms dealing with the dreaded picky eater —

I have two boys; they are the most beautiful, fun, and meaningful things that I have accomplished in my life – and that’s where their similarities stop.

#1 is an introvert; he’s stubborn, loves science and nature, is very sensitive, and (insert scary movie music) is the pickiest of picky eaters.  Seriously – I could name on one hand the food items that he deems acceptable forms of nutrition:  bread, yogurt, ketchup, cheese, bread, more bread…you get the picture.

#2 is an extrovert in every sense of the word; he’s outgoing, loves sports, loves wrestling, getting dirty, and eats me out of house and home.  Seriously.  He’s only 3 years old, and for snack last night (after he’d already eaten a huge dinner) he had 4 bowls of Lucky Charms and 2 GoGurts.  I’m frightened by what his teenage years will bring.

After nearly five years of struggling to get #1 to eat ANYTHING that wasn’t a member of the carbohydrate food group, I finally started working smarter, not harder.  I read a book titled “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld and got some great ideas on how to hide things that are good for him in food items that he’d eat without a fight.  I added my own modifications (I’m not much of a cook), and here are some of my favorites:

1.  Macaroni and Cheese:  One of #1 and #2’s favorites.  Prepare the macaroni per the instructions on the box (or from scratch if you’re a real go-getter) and then stir in baby food veggies.  I’ve used anything from peas to broccoli to spinach.  The color of the mac ‘n’ cheese changes so slightly that they can’t tell that they’re getting their greens.
2. Veggie Muffins:  Its bread, so hey, it works!  Prepare the muffins per the instructions on the box (I use the banana bread mix), and before you bake, add mashed banana, squash, and carrots.  It’s sweet enough that you can convince them that they’re having a treat, rather than a veggie muffin!
3. Spinach and Carrot Brownies:  Prepare the brownies per the instructions on the box (are you starting to see a pattern here?) and before you bake, add spinach puree and carrot puree.  Again, I found that baby food spinach and carrots works best for me, but feel free to make your own.  I will even eat these – and the kids love them!

Any other moms out there with picky eaters?  What tips and tricks do you use?  I’d love to hear them.

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Michelle

Michelle is a crazy-coupon-lady who loves getting things for free and believes that there is a fine line between hoarding and stockpiling. She’s also is a die-hard soccer & baseball Mom, and doesn’t understand why it’s socially unacceptable to run around barefoot all the time.

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