I know for a fact I was a picky eater as a child, I still am today. Sure my tastes have expanded but I still have a limited amount of choices to choose from. I can only imagine how difficult I was to satisfy.

I remember (or I was told) that I would pick out the peas and carrots out of fried rice. I remember my dad having to stand in line at McDonald’s or any similar fast food restaurant explaining he needs to have the hamburger plan, yes that means no ketchup, pickles, not even cheese. For some reason it took forever to get a fresh plan hamburger. But it didn’t stop with just eating out I was picky at home as well. In fact, as I grew older I started to take a nap right around dinner time just to avoid the meal at hand. Usually by the time I woke up the kitchen would be clean and I would be able to select my choice for dinner. I did anything and everything to avoid eating things I didn’t like. Yes I will admit it, I did the “food in napkin” trick and then tossed in into the bathroom toilet. It worked for years. I’m surprised the napkins filled with liver and vegetables never clogged the toilet.

Did my parents ever find out? I have no idea. But they never let on that they knew.

As you can imagine as everyone predicts you will indeed have a child just like you or sometimes worse, to get you back for all the trouble you caused your own parents. I would definitely have to say my daughter’s picky habits are indeed worse and indeed misunderstood. I mean why on earth would anyone want to refuse the sweet taste of delicious fruit? Yes, she hates the majority of vegetables but that fact that she denies herself the delicate and juicy taste of fruit is absurd, and something I clearly can not understand.

I know its normal behavior for a toddler to refuse to eat some foods or even only eat one particular food. Sometimes they will eat non stop other days you can’t even get a bite in. She is establishing her independence and I am happy about that. I know its okay for her to miss a meal on occasion and that it’s okay if she doesn’t have a well rounded diet. But why the fruit?

So as I was contemplating on what to do I came across a couple of sites that are helpful for parents with picky eaters.

Cooking for Kids: Picky Eaters
Picky eating is a manageable stage. We’ve pulled together a set of recipes that should please the choosiest child, and whenever possible, we selected healthful versions of these dishes so when they do eat, they’ll be well nourished…

How to get your toddler to eat more healthy food
Eating well gives your toddler the energy he needs to learn and grow. And it’ll help him stay healthy, maintain a healthy weight, and establish good lifelong eating habits. Here are some ways to make nutritious food the most appealing choice…

Toddler Diets and Picky Eaters
Getting your toddler to eat has become a power struggle and you often find yourself having to fight him to eat healthy. Even when you don’t give him any snacks, he often only eats a few bites of his lunch and dinner. You are at your wits’ end and have begun to dread meal times.