Finicky Eaters Any Advice

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

   Any moms or sisters with picky eaters in the family? I am a Mom of 2
young kids going to college and studying nutrition, hopefully to become
a dietitian. Healthy eating is a must in my house. We drink absolutely
no soda and I don't buy any products with High fructose corn syrup or
partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. I buy alot of fresh and sometimes
organic produce and am a good cook. My problem is really my five year
old. He shuns all fruit! And most vegetables. He is driving me crazy. I
am staring at him now waiting for him to finish his Banana milkshake
for breakfast(banana and milk with cinnamon) and I will not give him
anything else until he finishes it. I feel like were in a battle over
food. Allways negotiaing if you eat this you can have this and I'm
tired of it. The rest of us love fruits, veggies all kinds of beans and
lentils, nuts and meat, rice basically everything. My question is does
anyone have any advice or idea what is the Islamic way to handle
children and eating? Dr. Phil the psychologist says unless kids are
underweight or sick you should offer them what the family is eating and
if they don't eat it Do not giver them anything else. When they are
really hungry they will learn to eat what the family is eating.
Inshalla someone with the same problem can help. Jeni

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
Jenni Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 June 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 705	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jenni Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Finicky Eaters Any Advice Posted: 15 June 2005 at 10:44am
	Any moms or sisters with picky eaters in the family? I am a Mom of 2 young kids going to college and studying nutrition, hopefully to become a dietitian. Healthy eating is a must in my house. We drink absolutely no soda and I don't buy any products with High fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. I buy alot of fresh and sometimes organic produce and am a good cook. My problem is really my five year old. He shuns all fruit! And most vegetables. He is driving me crazy. I am staring at him now waiting for him to finish his Banana milkshake for breakfast(banana and milk with cinnamon) and I will not give him anything else until he finishes it. I feel like were in a battle over food. Allways negotiaing if you eat this you can have this and I'm tired of it. The rest of us love fruits, veggies all kinds of beans and lentils, nuts and meat, rice basically everything. My question is does anyone have any advice or idea what is the Islamic way to handle children and eating? Dr. Phil the psychologist says unless kids are underweight or sick you should offer them what the family is eating and if they don't eat it Do not giver them anything else. When they are really hungry they will learn to eat what the family is eating. Inshalla someone with the same problem can help. Jeni
	You cant be a good muslim if you are not decent and have a cold heart. Be a decent and kind person and care for women and children and the elderly.

Nausheen Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Female Joined: 10 January 2001 Status: Offline Points: 4251	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nausheen Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 June 2005 at 9:22pm
	Auzubillahi minash shaitan ir rajeem, Bismillah ir rahman ir rahim, Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah Dear Jenni, I have been in your shoes for a very long time Almost six years ..... alhamdulillah, my seven year old is a lot better than when she was four or five or six. Personally, i think, if you have the patience to force them, you can go ahead, but if you are losing it, its time to give up. There are alternatives to banana milk shake. for example go for cheese, yogurt, and puddings. ... i fact there are alternatives to almost everything. I have also noticed that our little house mates develop interest in eating when we involve them in cooking. Let him/her into your kitchen, and start your chores with, "okay, let us make this or that ....." You may try some adventures with food, to develop the sleeping taste buds. Try cutting out interesting shapes out of carrots and cucumbers. even allow your kid to do some of that, and it will serve as a titillating exercise. If lentils are not popular, try sprout beans, even show them how you sprout to create interest. Baking is very interesting for kids. When u bake cookies, or cakes, or even bread, just ask for help. Taking kids to the grocery stores, asking them to help with the list of grocery etc, is also good to develop interest in food. You may want them to pick their fruit of choice, and that will be easier for u to feed, rather than something which you may find "nutritious", but they think is boring and bland. Another thing is, if kids are seated alone to eat, ( as most of the times we mothers take the eating process as a job, and want to finish it), they do not eat as readily as when we are sitting with them, eating, talking, reading, or just watching them eat. I hope this helps. Maa salaama, Nausheen
	<font color=purple>Wanu nazzilu minal Qurani ma huwa Shafaa un wa rahmatun lil mo'mineena wa la yaziduzzalimeena illa khasara.[/COLOR]

ummziba Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Female Joined: 16 March 2005 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1158	Post Options Post Reply Quote ummziba Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 June 2005 at 4:46am
	Assalamu alaikum Jenni, Sister Nausheen has given you good advice. Let me just add that one should never force a child to eat something - give him a reasonable amount of time to finish eating, no nagging - just encouragement, when the time is up, remove the plate, nothinig said. Forcing only fosters dislike of food and makes meal time a battle. If you feel he is hungry because he didn't eat the last meal offered, offer him a small plate of food between meals or before bed. Again, limit the time, don't nag, just remove the plate, smile and say something like: "maybe you'll feel like eating something next time", and leave it at that. By remaining calm and matter of fact at meal time (hard, yes, but effective!) you prevent food from becoming an issue between you and your son. He will eat when he is hungry. For fruit, have you tried yummy dips? This one is a favorite for kids who enjoy peanut butter: 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter, 3 tbsp. natural honey, 2 tbsp. milk, and 1/2 cup Miracle Whip Lite. Mix very well, chill. Keeps in fridge for several days. (*never serve honey to children under 2 years of age.) Strawberry fruit dip: combine 1 tub of Light Spreadable Strawberry Cream Cheese and 1/2 cup chopped strawberries. Add 1/4 tsp. grated lemon peel and 2 tsp. lemon juice; mix well. Cover and put in fridge for at least an hour for flavors to blend. Dips for vegetables also work well. There are lots of nutritous dip recipes to be found on the internet (try websites of women's magazines). Kids usually love dips and it helps them to eat up vegetables and fruits. Most fruits can be ground up, mixed with a little fruit juice (apple or grape work well) and frozen to make homemade fruit pops. Another trick is "hiding" vegetables where kids can't see them. For example, if you make meatloaf or meatballs, add grated carrots, onions, sweet peppers or zuccinni to the meat mixture; it improves the taste and hides the veggies! This works well with ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken. If your kids like soup, roast a mixture of vegetables and then grind them in a blender or food processor to add to soup; again, flavor and hidden veggies! Never let food become a battle ground between you and your kids - keep your cool. Hope this helps! Peace, ummziba.
	Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words...they break my soul ~

Jenni Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 June 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 705	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jenni Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 June 2005 at 4:11pm
	I agree with you both and think we should not fight over food. However I think you come to a point where you say look, you've never eaten a strawberry so you Can't hate it! Also I don't want to treat him like a little prince and only feed him his favorite foods. But I am still trying to be flexible. I want him to be a good husband some day and be flexible and not picky. by the way a funny story I read in a magazine about a woman whos son only ate cheese pizza for 2 months. He absolutely refused all other foods. She allways gave in to his demands and after the 2 months he was suffering from vitamin a, c,d, and zinc deficiency. The mother told the doctor, he just wouldn't eat anything else. The doctor told her if you would have waited him out a day or two he would have eated Anything else!!!! And I like your tips here are a few more. Buy carrot juice and spike calcium fortified oranje juice 2/3 with 1/3 carrot juice. Even my husband loves it. Also buy plastic popsicle makers from tupperware and blend whole milk yougert(like from the middle eastern store or trader joes) with any fruit about half and half with a little honey or maple syryp if its too sour. Freeze. Kids seem to like it even mine. You have to run hot water over the plactic to get the popsicle out. These are 100% better than grocery store popsicles. They can also be made with just milk or soymilk and fruit. Thanks-Jen
	You cant be a good muslim if you are not decent and have a cold heart. Be a decent and kind person and care for women and children and the elderly.

kim! Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 17 September 2001 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 2390	Post Options Post Reply Quote kim! Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 June 2005 at 5:01pm
	Agreed - don't force kids to eat certain foods. It will just put them off. What you might try and do is tell your son he can have the food that he wants, as long as he has a piece of food that you want him to have first. ie: if he eats a small piece of broccoli, then he can have the rest of his yummy dinner. Keep the pieces small - small children can be intimidated by large chunks of food. And I think eating the same food together is a good idea too - if he sees other people enjoying the food, then he may be inspired. And if he doesn't eat it, he doesn't eat it. Let him snack on good food if he needs to, but if he doesn't eat all his dinner, then you can't really force him to. And I am SURE he will grow up to be the sort of person who eats EVERYTHING. My sister was SO PICKY when she was little, and now she eats just about everything. (well, she should - she's 32!) Good luck! Kim...