Picky Eaters

[funky f]

My 2 girls, aged 5 and 4 are really picky eaters. They love hotdogs, eggs, nuggets. I work kaya they're left under the care of their yaya and bigay hilig si yaya (who has been with us even before they were born) kahit sabihin ko pakainin ng veggies, meat, etc. i know it's really my fault kasi di ko natutukan. Do you have tips how I can encourage them to eat more nutritious food?

[k_heart]

Yung 2nd child ko sis, picky eater, payat pa din sya khit nag ba-vitamins. But she loves to eat fish and
chicken naman and ayaw nya masyado sa pork and beef. nadiscover ko din that she loves corn, and fruits
like grapes, watermelon,etc. she's thin but she's healthy.

Sa presentation sis ng food, it really helps.
And nung kid din ako, super picky eater din ako, in order for my mom to make me eat, ginagawa nyan
bundok bundok yung rice ko na hinaluan ng fish. In fairness naeenganyo ako talaga kumain kasi ang
cute! : )
and halimbawa sa mga recipes, you can substitute yung mga pork or beef sa mas healthier alternatives
like fish, chicken or veggies.
like sa lumpiang shanghai, instead of using pork, you can use chicken at haluan ng veggies like carrots,
etc.
You cam find healthy receipes dun sa mga local magazines like Yummy, Food, good housekeeping,etc.
if they like burgers as ulam, instead of  beef or pork lang, haluan ng veggies,etc.

i hope this helps kahit a little.he!he!

[funky f]

Thank you, sis.  They love fruits naman but ayaw talaga sa veggies except squash and potato. Try ko yang tip mo

[kiz_me1109]

My son became a picky eater also when he turned 3. Siguro kasi madami nang distructions during meal time. May yaya din kasi siya kaya nung nag leave ng matagal yaya niya, napansin ko na ang hirap niya pakainin. Kahit sa pag inom niya ng milk kailangan ko pa pagalitan bago ubusin.

With milk, since mahirap siya painumin, once a day lang siya uminom tapos I give him yogurt kasi gusto niya. Pandagdag lang sa nutrients niya everyday. Medyo magastos lang but it's ok.

Sa food naman hindi ko siya pinipilit. Yung dating officemate ko kasi, sabi sakin kapag ang toddler daw e ayaw kumain, huwag pilitin. Kasi kapag nagutom e siya mismo ang hihingi ng food. In fairness it works naman.

I also changed his vitamins. Baka sakaling makatulong sa apetite niya.

[funky f]

Yung kids ko, sis, ang lakas sa milk. During bed time, nakaka 2-3 pa sila na glasses. Dati pag gising, milk agad but i controlled it na. Kasi pag nagmilk sila right after they wake up, ayaw na magbreakfast. Ako nman pinipilit ko most of the time kumain para lang masanay. Baon nila sa school, rice din pero may times na di nagagalaw. Ok naman sila kumain basta gusto nila yung ulam kaso yun nga, panay processed lang yung gusto.

[khriseeee]

try hiding the veggies in their favorite foods - shanghai lumpia, meatballs, lasagna, you can even hide veggies in regular spaghetti sauce.

My brother hated veggies too, but loved spaghetti. I would mix in roasted red bell peppers into his spaghetti sauce and spinach into the layers of his lasagna. Everything should be shredded or diced finely so they won't be so easily detected.

[kiz_me1109]

I'm so happy kasi bumalik na yung gana ng anak ko sa pagkain. I don't know If it's because of his new multi-vitamins (tikitiki). Or baka may time lang talaga na bumabalik bigla yung appetite ng mga bata kapag magaling na sila sa sakit (lagnat, ubo,etc)

[xiansmom]

grabi hanggang ngayon problema ko parin pagkain ng anak ko.
ngayon naman kanin lang kinakain ayaw ng ulam,
tapos minsan hotdog or nuggets lang.at ayaw ng paulit-ulit
pagkain.ayaw ng gulay,ayaw ng prutas,hay naku talaga mga bata ngayon!
dati nung bata ako, pagkain lang ang wala.ngayon pagkain ang inaayawan

[iampennylane]

Minsan din talaga factor din yung yaya pag ganun eh, I have 3 daughters, my eldest who's already 7 yrs old, grew up sa parents ko sa province, kinuha ko lang when she was already 5, di kumakain ng gulay, kasi kung ano lang gusto kainin bigay hilig naman yung parents ko. My 2nd daughter naman picky eater din until now kasi bigay hilig din yung yaya nya dati kasi nagwowork pako. Yaya left when she was about 3yrs old. Yung bunso ko naman yun sobrang hilig sa gulay kasi yun talaga yung hands-on na ako since I left my job to focus sa kids. Ngayon, since almost 3 years na akong housewife, lahat sila kumakain na ng gulay and kung anuman ang nakaserve sa mesa. What I do naman, pag nagluluto ako anjan silang lahat sa tabi ko, I let them help me, like pakikuha naman baby ng onions, ng garlic, ng tomato sa ref. Tapos they will ask ano hitsura ng mga pinapakuha ko then I just describe to them, nag eenjoy sila ng ganun. I explain to them always kung ano benefits ng particular veggies. Ako kasi di ako kumakain ng gulay din dati, so I tell them, look at mama, malabo ang mata kasi I don't eat vegetables, basta lagi kong iniincorporate sarili ko or kung ano man yung nakikita namin. Like if we see beggars sa street, I tell them how lucky they are kasi they don't need to beg para lang may makain. Or gusto nyo ba kuha kayo ng food sa basura? Naiinstill naman sa kanila, lalo na yung bunso ko. Ngayon wala akong problema, imagine they can eat ampalaya with gusto

[marose17]

I have twins and each kid has his own eating habit.  Kid #1 is fond of cookies, fried chicken, hotdogs, etc.  He eats leafy green vegetables kapag nasa masabaw na dish like sinigang, nilaga, tinola.  He does not readily eat veggies na ginisa.  He is fond of bananas but pahirapan pakainin ng ibang fruits.  Kid #2, on the other hand, eats vegetables and fruits and almost anything we give him. 

Both kids were fed vegetables as first food when they were babies.  Iba-iba talaga ang kids kahit same food ang una mong i-serve.  Now, I do not make a big deal kapag hindi kumakain ng vegetables si Kid #1.  I just continue to offer, make him tikim lang, tell him the benefits of gulay and read or tell him stories about healthy eating.

With the exception of hotdogs and cookies, I rarely give my boys processed food.  Hotdogs nga once a month lang ako bumili.  They do not drink soda or sweet fruit juice.  Water and fresh milk most of the time.  There is a rule in the house that they have to eat on the dining table (since toddlers pa sila, sa table talaga kumakain) at designated meal times and they have to eat what is on the table.  Walang special paluto na ibang ulam for them. 

Just instill healthy eating habits and huwag bibigay ang hilig ng bata kung hindi ito makakabuti para sa kanila.

One more thing, by age 2, a child has to get most of his nutrients from solid food, not milk.  So okay lang bawasan ang milk (the earlier you wean your baby off the bottle, the better).  And no, your preschooler or toddler does not need special "preschool" or "toddler" formula.  Fresh milk will do.

[princess jaz]

Sa ngayon, wala ako problema sa pagkain ng little boy ko.
Mahilig sya sa veggies. Kahit okra, kinakain nya, yummy daw.  Mas gusto nya yung gulay kesa meat.
Sa pork and beef ako nagkakaproblema, kase niluluwa nya agad.
Para makain nya yung meat, hinihiwa ko ng maliit, tas tinatago ko sa ilalim ng rice pag pinapakain ko sya.
So far, ok naman.

[jenaspacio]

Hi mommies! Ako din I a few concerns about my own son. He loves sweets so much. I am to blame, I know. I'm a chocoholic. Di nakapagtataka na he takes on what we eat.

I can relate with you, princess jaz, may time din na ayaw ng anak ko ng meat. Talagan all veggies lang. Mostly because tamad ngumuya. Mabilis kas manguya at malunok veggies. Naisip ko lang, healthy pa nga tlaga yon kung tutuusin. Maybe you can replace yung protein na makukuha ng baby mo sa meat with alternatives like tokwa? Ako naman talaga dream ko maging more on veggies kaming family. Huge meat eater kasi si hubby kaya ang hirap.

[mauieflores]

My son also became a picky eater when he turned 4 years old. Before that, he loved veggies and even ate raw tomatoes na parang kumakain lang ng apple. Although I'm a stay at home mom, hindi ko rin nagawang pakainin sya ng nutritious food madalas. Guilty ako for giving in to his whims. Para walang away,  lulutuin ko na lang kung ano yung gusto niyang kainin. Kaya siguro until now (he's turning 13 this May) medyo picky eater pa rin. Somehow, I was able to put fiber into his diet by mixing brown rice with our usual white rice. Tapos gumagawa din ako ng sushi or burgers tapos nakatago dun yung chopped veggies

[bluegintonic]

I'm a SAHM and my daughter has her quirks too but I can't say she is picky.One way to banish the pickiness is DO NOT stock up on overly processed foods, kasi yun lang makakasanayan nila talaga kainin kasi sobrang timplado na yun eh. What I did

1- let her eat only what you're eating.A picky parent can lead to a picky child,show them a good example as well.My husband has an incurable sweet tooth and hindi nawawalang chocolates after a meal,despite may fruits sa table.There came a time si baby nahilig din.I corrected it na pag kaming 2 lang nasa bahay,walang chocolates na sine-serve.Puro lang kami fruits.So far, she eats watermelon,pears,apples (peeled).

2- My 2 year old loves broccoli she'll eat it even if it's just steamed,or in a dish.Kalabasa lang ayaw nya lalo pag sauteed lang.She likes it in gata with monggo. So minsan, hindi naman talaga picky with a certain food,baka sa presentation lang.

3-Hindi pa labas lahat ng teeth niya but she loves beef fajitas (outside of the flat bread).This is eat I cooked in just 5 minutes sobrang lambot! so plain white rice ang partner ng "fajita" niya.Just try using leaner, tender cuts of meats.I use rump roast on my fajitas if beef and chicken breast/ thighs only if chicken.

Your kids's food repertoire will increase if you introduce more and more variety of foods on the table.

[angelzero]

question: how do i teach my niece to eat faster? what she does, she lets food stay long in her mouth instead of chewing it right away. isang subo aabot minsan ng 5-10 mins.

[j27]

^haha! ganyan din yung anak ko. minsan naka stock sa pisngi niya yung sinusubo ko sakanya. ang tagal ngumuya. kaya ako, every 30secs yata sinasabi ko sa kanya "nguya ng nguya, bilis.". haha.

pag dry foods lang naman medyo matagal ngumuya. kaya pag walang sabaw or sauce, nililiitan  ko lang yung subo at yung slice ng meat para madaling manguya at malunok. pag talagang hirap na lumunok, pinapainom ko ng konting tubig para maisama sa paginom niya yung nasa pisngi. hehe

kaya binabantayan ko talaga kumain yung bunso ko, pag hindi gumagalaw yung bibig, hinahawakan ko yung pisngi niya. alam na niya yun, automatic ngunguya na. 

[angelzero]

^naku buti yung anak mo nakukuha sa salita at paghawak sa pisngi. si niece ang stubborn. kahit ilang sabi ng 'nguya nang nguya' ang bagal pa rin. ngunguya nang saglit tapos titigil na naman. minsan tuloy nauuwi sa takutan, which is alam kong masama, pero yun lang yung paraan para ngumuya sya nang mabilis. example of pananakot: "sige magiging kamukha mo si <name of unpleasant person or character> pag di ka ngumuya nang mabilis." or the usual "isusumbong kita kay mama mo."

[j27]

^ilang taon na ba ang pamangkin mo? yung bunso ko 5yrs old na, pero sa simulat-simula, ganyan na siya kumain pag dry ang rice. minsan pag naka mood, kahit may sabaw na may naiipon pa din sa pisngi.

ay minsan pag sobrang tagal talaga ngumuya, nakakapagod mag followup ng "nguya na bilis". sasabihin ko sa kanya, "abay bilisan mong kumain at mayamaya kakain na tayo". hehe. mag aabot yung breakfast at lunch niya sa bagal kumain. 

baka may favorite siya na ulam? kasi itong bunso ko, pag natapat sa favorite niya na ulam, kahit walang sauce o sabaw mabilis ngumuya. siya pa magsasabi ng "ahhh...".

favorite niya:
-bacon na malambot, yung tamang magbrown lang ng konti. malasa kasi yan e.
-spam, hotdog, tocino, sweet ham, viena sausage
-chicken nuggets
-spaghetti with sauce and grated cheese, minus yung mga sahog sahog at kung anoano pang nadedetect niya na maliliit sa bibig niya. ayaw niya yan. kahit yung pinakamaliit na slice ng bawang at sibuyas, alam.
-any ulam na may sauce: adobo, kaldereta, etc. plus konting shredded na meat para madali nguyain. kung maishred mo ng parang sa corned beef mas maganda para wala ng reklamo. hehe
-any ulam na may sabaw: sinigang, nilaga, etc. plus konting shredded meat ulit.
-minsan nasisingitan ko ng gulay. pag nagpipinakbet ako, yung sauce nun tsaka konting kalabasa na minash sa rice, sabay subo, wala ng explain explain kung ano yung isinubo sa kanya. magugulat nalang siya. at pag pumoporma na iluluwa, "oopps! hindi tayo pupunta sa mall...." edi lunok siya. hehe.
minsan yung potato sa tortang giniling, pinipili ko yung diced potato, tapos yun ang imamash ko sa rice niya. same procedure, subo agad. pag nagreklamo, walang pupunta sa mall. 

[funky f]

Hay, kami rin, takutan.  Tipong, i wont take you to the mall later or you'll look like lola skeleton ( yung isang super payat na matanda she saw on tv).  And ganyan din yung 5 yo ko, suuuuperrr tagal ngumuya and yung 4 yo ko naman, ang hilig mag-spit ng food.  Oftentimes, sinusubuan pa sila kahit marunong naman kumin mag isa para lang matutukan mabuti...

[supermommyjem]

My four-year old son is not that really a picky eater kasi kumakain naman ng anything siguro may pagkachoosy lang sa pagprepare. Ang problem ko is mahina kumain tapos minsan ang dami alibay. Ginagawa kong exciting ang food nya and sometimes I even let him help me prepare the food para nag-enjoy din siya before eating. It is important na parating may sabaw ang ibigay ko sa kanya para he can easily munch the food saka dapat nutritious din rich in fiber. I also give him bananas and papaya after lunch. Before dumedede pa sya sa bote pero inawat ko na and alalay ako sa baso lalo na kapag nagdrink sya ng milk. Iniisip ko nga kung gaano kaya katagal mahirap pakainin ang anak ko. Hindi pa mataba pero thank God di naman sakitin.