Picky Eater... HELP!

We are adventurous eaters and all left there hungry. None of us cared for the food at all. Also, we sat at a table with another family, which we didn't know was the norm. They were not very friendly and it made the meal uncomfortable.
 
I'm a picky eater and I hate German food (sauerbrateb is the devil) and Biergarten is my favorite restaurant in Epcot!
 
SnipsNSnails said:
That's great that it worked for you and your family but that does not work for all kids. My oldest has SPD, probably eats healthier than most people as he prefers raw veggies to just about anything, but they don't have a lot of calories. We are always on the edge of intervention for his weight, so for him, we do have to cater to his particular and very picky tastes (no sauces or gravies, nothing mixed together, the few proteins he will eat). We can't restrict access to foods he will eat because in addition to being picky, he doesn't eat much at a time. We are thrilled whenever he eats anything. I once watched my youngest trying to show him the pulled pork he had in his bowl, trying to offer him some, and him running away gagging and crying like he was being tortured from the smell alone. So, no, that is not a solution for everyone. The picky eater question is very valid.

Pickiness also isn't necessarily the result of parenting. My youngest will eat and try just about anything set in front of him. He can identify pesto and other things by taste. We didn't raise him any differently than the oldest. I think many picky eaters have mild forms of SPD and no amount of tough love will change them.

OP - we have never done Biergarten as my picky eater probably wouldn't fare well there. Sounds like Mac & Cheese will help you out there (mine will only eat Kraft, the way his dad makes it). We are trying Teppan Edo though because steak is surprisingly on the approved list for him. I have found the menus at All Ears to be very helpful. Especially when is comes to QS. I typed up a list to carry of QS locations that have items he will eat so that we can run get him something from nearby if the QS place we stop at doesn't have anything on the menu he likes.
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There is usually difference between SPD eating habits and a child who only eats pizza, fries, nuggets, and PB&J though. In most cases where that is all the kids eat it is a result of essentially running a short order kitchen OR adults only eating "adult food" when they go out - which is more what the OP's post sounds like. And in that case yes, you can "train them out of it" though it might take time.

If the pickiness is not due to SPD or a medical reason but preferences which have been catered to, the earlier it is nipped in the bud the easier it will be. I'm on another message board for cruises and there was a young woman (24 years old) who first whined that she could not find anything she liked on any menus. Finally she admitted that on all her previous cruises she had been a child and only eaten "kid food" but now that she is an adult she feels like she needs to "eat grown up" but "her stomach isn't happy with anything else".
 


I'll be honest -- this thread is the first I've heard of "Sensory Processing Disorder." The Skinnerian in me is having trouble digesting it...
 
Dug720 said:
There is usually difference between SPD eating habits and a child who only eats pizza, fries, nuggets, and PB&J though. In most cases where that is all the kids eat it is a result of essentially running a short order kitchen OR adults only eating "adult food" when they go out - which is more what the OP's post sounds like. And in that case yes, you can "train them out of it" though it might take time.

If the pickiness is not due to SPD or a medical reason but preferences which have been catered to, the earlier it is nipped in the bud the easier it will be. I'm on another message board for cruises and there was a young woman (24 years old) who first whined that she could not find anything she liked on any menus. Finally she admitted that on all her previous cruises she had been a child and only eaten "kid food" but now that she is an adult she feels like she needs to "eat grown up" but "her stomach isn't happy with anything else".
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Amen.

There's a difference between self induced pickiness and having some kind of special need, but special needs kids always get thrown into the mix when they're kind of irrelevant to the discussion.

If pickiness is due to a special need, trust me, the parent will say so.
 
Huff said:
Disney restaurants are far more accommodating that other restaurants. We were at Ohana's and saw a waiter offer to make a child a cheeseburger or mac and cheese. Neither are on the menu.
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Our waitress at hoop dee doo asked if she could bring out something, I think it was mac and cheese, for DD when she noticed that she wasn't eating. I was tempted to say that with the huge pile of food on the table, she could eat or starve, but I didn't. She ate the mac and cheese. :-)
 


Esmommy2008 said:
We will be visiting DW in November of 2016. Biergarten and Teppan Edo are 2 restaurants I'm debating on making ADR's at. My concern is that my 7yr old ds will literally not like anything on the menu at either place. I was hoping someone could give insight as to whether Biergarten has the simple "fries, chicken nuggets, pizza... etc." and the same with Teppan Edo, can you order something that isn't on the menu like a pbj? I know, ridiculous, but it is what it is. I wasn't seeing either option on either menu, but I know some restaurants will work with you. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!!
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The only help I can offer is to teach that child that eating French fries and chicken nuggets isn't healthy. There is a time when a good parent says "no" to the child.
 
You kind of assume that just because a child is picky (ie has strong preferences) that they are all unhealthy. My kid will not touch mcdonalds (or any processed) nuggets with a 10 foot pole, likes some fries (but not most), won't eat 'soft' white bread or jelly (does like peanut butter in moderation but not enough to make it a meal - actually prefers sunflower seed butter... go figure!) That said sometimes when you are in a strange place with lots of very strange foods, some go-to things can make life a whole lot easier. Just because someone is looking for that on vacation does not mean that it is all they feed their kids at home.

I'm also not sure why it is irrelevant that kids have special needs. I think more and more we understand that the "weird little kid who is really smart but doesn't get it socially" of a generation ago is the aspie kid of this generation or that the kid who just couldn't control himself or sit still of the previous generation is the ADHD kid of this one. Not every kid who doesn't behave as you think they should is doing so due to bad and overly permissive parenting and I have found it is generally better to be empathetic and nonjudgmental of other parents rather than telling them everything they are doing wrong.

Mine is on the autism spectrum (what would have been aspergers before they simplified the DSM) and has sensory issues that go with that, but I rarely bring it up. Why should I? I don't feel the need to constantly excuse or apologize for my child - if someone is going to be intolerant I don't wish to shame them into being tolerant. I especially love going to Disney because there are so many kids of so many walks of life and they treat kids so well there... I never feel pressured into explaining why my kid dropped his milk or why he needs to eat a certain way. All kids are accepted for who they are for the most part there - at least by the CMs if not by all other guests. And I have posted questions asking about my "picky" kid... that's enough info for the sake of a forum about WDW.

I have found that buffets are great with mine because he can try new things with no pressure. No pressure that mommy just spent $x for a meal he won't eat, no pressure that if he doesn't like something he can't try something else. I learned the hard way that applying pressure to my child to get him to eat things did more harm than good and created a lot of anxiety I had to spend years undoing. Now at 7 he asks to try things and I am always proud of him for trying even if he doesn't like it... and he is still picky as all hell. Proteins have always been tough but sliced proteins at buffets are generally fairly bland when unsauced, have no weird lines and no heavily seasonings - if they are crusted the seasonings can be cut off, and also are texturally more pleasing because they are thinly sliced and not huge chunks of meat. That plus some kind of starchy side (rather than making mac and cheese his whole meal) and he does pretty well there. No he won't touch fruits or veggies (although recently has started being ok with apples so I am super proud of him!) All of the Disney buffets have enough kid choices that he feels comfortable trying new things but there is plenty to eat if nothing is a winner. The best advice I got was to take all pressure off and just keep offering, enjoying yourself with meals and offering at every opportunity with no pressure.

Good luck and have a great time :)
 
DSLRuser said:
Me being a good German.... Schnitzel is Pork Tenderloin, smashed (with a mallet) breaded and fried. YUM!!!
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Interesting. I've only ever heard of Wiener Schnitzel, which is traditionally veal (and obviously Austrian, not German, since Wien is German for Vienna). But you're right, according to Disney's menu for the Biergarten, it's pork.
 
We loved the Biergarten, but for the entertainment than the food. My kids are generally willing to try new things (they eat squid and sushi and curry). But, like most buffets at WDW, the food is really just okay. I'd go back to Biergarten, though, because there was enough for us to leave full. And they loved the music and had fun dancing. The couple at the table with us had three kids around the same age as mine. It turned out they were staying at the same hotel, so later on we met up with them and the kids played together. I know the communal table isn't for everyone, but the two times we've eaten there, we had a great time meeting the other people eating with us.
 
Last time we were at Biergarten, our family of 4 was seated with another family of 4, who we did not know, but only lived about 8 miles from us. It was nice because we had built in talking points.
 
Lisa F said:
You kind of assume that just because a child is picky (ie has strong preferences) that they are all unhealthy. My kid will not touch mcdonalds (or any processed) nuggets with a 10 foot pole, likes some fries (but not most), won't eat 'soft' white bread or jelly (does like peanut butter in moderation but not enough to make it a meal - actually prefers sunflower seed butter... go figure!) That said sometimes when you are in a strange place with lots of very strange foods, some go-to things can make life a whole lot easier. Just because someone is looking for that on vacation does not mean that it is all they feed their kids at home.

I'm also not sure why it is irrelevant that kids have special needs. I think more and more we understand that the "weird little kid who is really smart but doesn't get it socially" of a generation ago is the aspie kid of this generation or that the kid who just couldn't control himself or sit still of the previous generation is the ADHD kid of this one. Not every kid who doesn't behave as you think they should is doing so due to bad and overly permissive parenting and I have found it is generally better to be empathetic and nonjudgmental of other parents rather than telling them everything they are doing wrong.

Mine is on the autism spectrum (what would have been aspergers before they simplified the DSM) and has sensory issues that go with that, but I rarely bring it up. Why should I? I don't feel the need to constantly excuse or apologize for my child - if someone is going to be intolerant I don't wish to shame them into being tolerant. I especially love going to Disney because there are so many kids of so many walks of life and they treat kids so well there... I never feel pressured into explaining why my kid dropped his milk or why he needs to eat a certain way. All kids are accepted for who they are for the most part there - at least by the CMs if not by all other guests. And I have posted questions asking about my "picky" kid... that's enough info for the sake of a forum about WDW.

I have found that buffets are great with mine because he can try new things with no pressure. No pressure that mommy just spent $x for a meal he won't eat, no pressure that if he doesn't like something he can't try something else. I learned the hard way that applying pressure to my child to get him to eat things did more harm than good and created a lot of anxiety I had to spend years undoing. Now at 7 he asks to try things and I am always proud of him for trying even if he doesn't like it... and he is still picky as all hell. Proteins have always been tough but sliced proteins at buffets are generally fairly bland when unsauced, have no weird lines and no heavily seasonings - if they are crusted the seasonings can be cut off, and also are texturally more pleasing because they are thinly sliced and not huge chunks of meat. That plus some kind of starchy side (rather than making mac and cheese his whole meal) and he does pretty well there. No he won't touch fruits or veggies (although recently has started being ok with apples so I am super proud of him!) All of the Disney buffets have enough kid choices that he feels comfortable trying new things but there is plenty to eat if nothing is a winner. The best advice I got was to take all pressure off and just keep offering, enjoying yourself with meals and offering at every opportunity with no pressure.

Good luck and have a great time :)
Click to expand...


I didn't say it was irrelevant that kids have special needs. No one did.

What I specifically said was that pickiness because of a medical issue isn't the same thing as a kid just being picky, but someone is always bringing it up. They aren't comparable.

I'm getting personally annoyed that every kid with a quirk is suggested to have special needs.
 
aaarcher86 said:
I didn't say it was irrelevant that kids have special needs. No one did.

What I specifically said was that pickiness because of a medical issue isn't the same thing as a kid just being picky, but someone is always bringing it up. They aren't comparable.

I'm getting personally annoyed that every kid with a quirk is suggested to have special needs.
Click to expand...

My point is that it is none of anyone's business why someone else's kid is picky and parents shouldn't have to feel the need to justify it to anyone, especially not on a message board dedicated to helping people have their dream vacations at Walt Disney World, but really no where. You don't know WHY someone is picky and how a parent chooses to handle it is their business. The OP didn't ask for suggestions about how to make her child less picky, she asked for ways to accommodate her child's taste in food while on vacation... and a whole lot of assumptions were made about her child and her as a parent.

I am getting personally annoyed that every adult with an opinion on child rearing feels free to share it in the most inappropriate places.
 
Lisa F said:
My point is that it is none of anyone's business why someone else's kid is picky and parents shouldn't have to feel the need to justify it to anyone, especially not on a message board dedicated to helping people have their dream vacations at Walt Disney World, but really no where. You don't know WHY someone is picky and how a parent chooses to handle it is their business. The OP didn't ask for suggestions about how to make her child less picky, she asked for ways to accommodate her child's taste in food while on vacation... and a whole lot of assumptions were made about her child and her as a parent.

I am getting personally annoyed that every adult with an opinion on child rearing feels free to share it in the most inappropriate places.
Click to expand...

No, it's no ones business and I wasn't referring to the ops post. If someone's expecting special accommodations they'll be getting a lot of responses.

9/10 if someone is picky because of ASD or any other medical issue they'll tell you.
 
aaarcher86 said:
No, it's no ones business and I wasn't referring to the ops post. If someone's expecting special accommodations they'll be getting a lot of responses.

9/10 if someone is picky because of ASD or any other medical issue they'll tell you.
Click to expand...
Disney is the land of awesome customer service and magical vacations. Why are special accommodations bad? Why does anyone else care if they do or what their reasons are?

I will only post about my son's issues if it is relevant to the conversation. I don't think it is really relevant to the conversation when I am asking questions on a Disney board about his food, and I should not have to share that information in order to not be judged. That is my point. Just because someone is not shouting from the rooftops that their kid has special needs doesn't mean that they don't have them, and especially on the Disney board I shouldn't have to shame someone into being kind and nonjudgmental by bringing that up either.
 
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Lisa F said:
Disney is the land of awesome customer service and magical vacations. Why are special accommodations bad? Why does anyone else care if they do or what their reasons are?

I will only post about my son's issues if it is relevant to the conversation. I don't think it is really relevant to the conversation when I am asking questions on a Disney board about him food, and I should not have to share that information in order to not be judged. That is my point. Just because someone is not shouting from the rooftops that their kid has special needs doesn't mean that they don't have them, and especially on the Disney board I shouldn't have to shame someone into being kind and nonjudgmental by bringing that up either.
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I feel like you're going waaaay into left field with what's actually being stated.

Clearly I'm either explaining poorly or you're just not getting what I'm saying.
 
aaarcher86 said:
I feel like you're going waaaay into left field with what's actually being stated.

Clearly I'm either explaining poorly or you're just not getting what I'm saying.
Click to expand...

well you're aggravated that kids with "quirks" are deemed to have special needs.

and you think the fact that kids have special needs is irrelevant to the conversation because it is ok to judge someone who has "picky" but not for medical reasons kids but not ok to judge people who have kids with special needs, and you'll know who the ones with special needs are because their parents will identify them.

I think people bring it up because they feel attacked by people on the internet who don't know their full story (whatever it may be) and it is relevant as a reminder that judging people based on limited information is really not productive. I don't think it is ever OK to judge and I don't think advice to starve your kid for a week to get them to not be picky is useful in a thread about eating at a vacation destination (was not given by you). It's none of anyone's business why their kid is picky and no one should feel obligated to share private information to defend themselves, but people do feel that way, which is why your perception is that most will bring it up.
 
Lisa F said:
well you're aggravated that kids with "quirks" are deemed to have special needs.

and you think the fact that kids have special needs is irrelevant to the conversation because it is ok to judge someone who has "picky" but not for medical reasons kids but not ok to judge people who have kids with special needs, and you'll know who the ones with special needs are because their parents will identify them.

I think people bring it up because they feel attacked by people on the internet who don't know their full story (whatever it may be) and it is relevant as a reminder that judging people based on limited information is really not productive. I don't think it is ever OK to judge and I don't think advice to starve your kid for a week to get them to not be picky is useful in a thread about eating at a vacation destination (was not given by you). It's none of anyone's business why their kid is picky and no one should feel obligated to share private information to defend themselves, but people do feel that way, which is why your perception is that most will bring it up.
Click to expand...


Special needs was irrelevant to the discussion. I didn't say it was okay to judge why the OP was asking. Someone offered up something about making them less picky, and someone else came in with why that wouldn't work because their kid has special needs. Neither matters, but the suggestion wasn't including kids with medical issues. It never does, but it always gets thrown into the mix.

I didn't say to starve a kid. I didn't say to make them less picky. My suggestion was booking restaurants with food the kid will eat. My perception comes from experience reading posts here and having a special needs kid.

I can't keep explaining something that you just aren't getting.
 
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