If you DON'T have a picky eater....

If your kid pretty much eats anything and then finds something that he/she does NOT like, do you still make them eat it?

Logan eats great and rarely complains (he hesistates to try but knows the rule is you have to try it before you can say you don't like it).

The other night we had something from Super Suppers that he simply didn't like after he tried a couple bites so I gave him Chicken Nuggets instead.

Then I started to wonder if I did the right thing or if I should have still made him eat it.

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

Our rule is if you try it and don't like it, you don't have to eat it, BUT, you must really try it first.

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

I don't make them eat it. I figure we adults are allowed to dislike certain foods, so the kids can too.

But like the others said, they have to TRY it. A couple decent sized bites. And if the food happens to be on the menu and enough time has passed, I encourage them to give it another try... sometimes you have to develop a taste for certain foods.

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

My kids eat nearly everything, and if they don't like something they don't have to eat it. The only thing this doesn't apply to is vegetables because they'd just rather not eat them, as opposed to seriously not liking them. The rule with vegetables is they have to eat a small portion (1 asparagus stalk, but I compromise and remove the tip, which they truly hate, or 4 string beans, etc.)

If they are not eating something because they really dislike it, they fill up on the other choices at the table (side dishes or whatever) and they don't get a serparate meal.

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

Ava is not a picky eater, but she is a master at manipulation, so I'm very careful when she tells me she doesn't like something. If I know it's something she's eaten in the past or something that there's really no way she doesn't really like and is just trying to get something else out of me, I tell her she doesn't have to eat, but she's getting nothing else.
If it's something I know she truly doesn't like (for example, she cannot stand cooked peppers), she has to try it, like really, really try it, and then she can either eat around it if possible, eat the side dishes if possible or I will give her something else. But honestly, there's usually only an element of something she doesn't like and she'll eat the rest.

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

Both my girls are great eaters, I have complete faith when they say that they do not like something, that it is the truth. I do not make them eat it. It is VERY rare

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

Sounds like he gave it the old college try.

I can't imagine making him eat something he doesn't like...especially since you know he isn't picky.

I think you did the right thing.

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

I have good eaters. If they try something and honestly don't like it, I will give them something else, BUT they have to eat everything else on their plate. So say they have fish, brocolli and rice. If they hate the way I made the fish, they have to eat all the brocolli and rice. If they hate the way I made the rice, they have to eat all the fish and brocolli.

Re: If you DON'T have a picky eater....

I don't have a picky eater AT ALL. Last week, she ate scallops we made in a white wine sauce! The only rule is that she has to FULLY try it and if she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to eat it again. I also take in account her mood. Some nights she just doesn't want soft tacos or french onion soup, so I try to balance it with the fact that she IS a 5 year old that sometimes just wants to eat pizza and chicken nuggets.

I would say 8 out of 10 times she likes it and will eat it. I wish my parents had done this with me. I think you did fine