Making Food Changes

When it comes to getting the boy to eat “different” foods, it can take quite a while for it to happen.  It can be the little changes in the beginning that lead to the bigger changes down the road.  My friend, Barb, makes her son’s grilled cheese with wheat bread.  He doesn’t complain because he doesn’t recognize the change.  Grilled white bread and grilled wheat bread are both brown.  We got the boy to eat wheat bread several years ago because we told him that wheat bread had a sweeter taste to it (and it does) and we started him on it by making his peanut butter toast  in the morning with it.  Once he realizes that he has been eating something for a while, he is ok with the change becoming permanent.   

Another item that we have been able to switch out is our pasta.  We are a pasta loving family.  So, in order for all of us to eat a healthier version, we started using whole wheat pasta.  We started by adding quite a bit more sauce to his pasta.  As we have dialed back on the sauce, and he realized we had been eating wheat pasta all along, he is fine with the change.  We are now in the process of trying to switch from white rice to introducing brown rice. It is a slow process!

Now, this isn’t saying that all of the changes are going to be easy.  The foods that we have switched out have had the same texture.  There is no way I have been able to get the boy to eat multigrain bread over his wheat bread.   Those bits and pieces of grains just turn him off. 

For picky eaters, taking the time to slowly introduce things is the best route that we have found.  Especially the stubborn picky eater!  I guess my advice is to keep trying.  There was a time when the boy would only eat a small number of things.  Now, he is (most of the time) up for trying new things …as long as there aren’t any chunky vegetables in it!  J