As much as I hate to admit it, the girls are picky eaters. Really, it's not so much that they are picky about what they will eat, once they try and like something I could give it to them at every meal and they'd eat it. It's more that they don't like to try new things. They examine everything on their plate and if it looks new or different they immediately say, "No. I don't want that. I don't like it" and push it away. We always give them a few options and try to include something new and different as often as possible. We give them some healthy veggies that they like, a small side that they like (yogurt, applesauce etc) plus their main dish. We figure even if they say they don't like it, hopefully they can be convinced, tricked or bribed into at least trying it. We basically follow the what we put on your plate is what you get method. There are no alternates, 2nd meals, snacks or substitutions, for the most part. We've honestly just been hoping they grow out of this phase and go back to eating whatever.
We made some progress last night though. I asked the girls to help me make lasagna and see if they could be convinced to taste and try as we put it all together. They were so excited to help me that it didn't take much convincing before they were dipping their fingers into the sauce, meat and cheese. They've done it before and loved it but I wasn't counting on a repeat taste test. Luckily, they dove right in and were eating the toppings almost faster than I could put them on! They licked up a layer of cottage cheese, half a layer of ground turkey and cheese by the handfuls. I pretty much let them have at it until I was running out of ingredients to fill in their gaps. Then I explained that we had to finish it off and put it in the oven to cook it. They watched while I put it in the oven and I called them back over when I took it out. We let it cool and then they begged me to put some on their plates. Once they sat down and saw it on their plates, it took a bit of convincing to try it, but they did. Olivia was more into it than Lucy, but I was able to still get them to finish off the rest of the leftover turkey meat and a few bites of the cooked lasagna.
We made some progress last night though. I asked the girls to help me make lasagna and see if they could be convinced to taste and try as we put it all together. They were so excited to help me that it didn't take much convincing before they were dipping their fingers into the sauce, meat and cheese. They've done it before and loved it but I wasn't counting on a repeat taste test. Luckily, they dove right in and were eating the toppings almost faster than I could put them on! They licked up a layer of cottage cheese, half a layer of ground turkey and cheese by the handfuls. I pretty much let them have at it until I was running out of ingredients to fill in their gaps. Then I explained that we had to finish it off and put it in the oven to cook it. They watched while I put it in the oven and I called them back over when I took it out. We let it cool and then they begged me to put some on their plates. Once they sat down and saw it on their plates, it took a bit of convincing to try it, but they did. Olivia was more into it than Lucy, but I was able to still get them to finish off the rest of the leftover turkey meat and a few bites of the cooked lasagna.
That's a huge victory even if it is just a few bites! I definitely plan on letting them help me make more stuff to try and get them to try more new things. Once they try something they almost always like it which is why it's so silly that they won't even try new things. It's just frustrating since I don't really want to feed them chicken nuggets, veggies and spaghetti os for the rest of time. There's hope though...I think.
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