picky eater

Do parents turn kids into fussy eaters? What you’re doing wrong to get your kids to eat

Both of my girls love to eat — and not just processed foods and sweets. When my now-17-year-old was 7, she was eating salads as the main course at dinner. My 3-year-old recently passed over chips and guacamole for pretzels and hummus at a party. Not all parents are this lucky. Sue Bevens, of Walnut Creek, has bought every kids’ cookbook she could put her hands on. Nothing she made tempted her 4-year-old daughter, Ava, to eat anything except pizza and toast with jelly. Then, out of desperation, she took Ava to Trader Joe’s and gave her a child-size shopping cart. “You can buy whatever you want,” Bevens told Ava. “But whatever you buy, you have to try.” Into the cart went apples, tomatoes, sliced cheese, pre-made burritos — and a package of cookies. The cookies helped Bevens to g...

Tips for getting those picky vegetable eaters to eat!

If chicken nuggets and mac ‘n cheese are the only foods your kids will even think about eating, don’t worry, you’re not alone. In today’s world, with all the tempting cartoon-endorsed processed foods, it can seem like a daunting challenge to get your little ones excited about a vegetable that is not loaded with sugar and branded with their favorite Saturday morning friend. But eating veggies doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation or seem like a pain-staking chore! Every meal can be an opportunity to introduce your children’s taste buds to good, healthy foods while still allowing them to eat the foods they enjoy. Here are a few easy ways to get your kiddos to try, and even LIKE veggies!