I see all of these posts about "picky eaters" and I wonder what in the world is going on? All of these kids can't possibly have a medical issue. That is not statistically possible. Why is it that American kids are all of a sudden incapable of eating a wide variety of normal food? But if you dare suggest that the parent's are responsible by not feeding their kids right from the beginning, you are the most awful person on the planet. It's either American kids have somehow developed a strange disorder, or it's because they are being allowed to be this picky. I worry about the health of many of these children. They can't possibly be getting proper nutrients from those kinds of diets. No wonder little kids are getting diabetes. I think that new parents should have available to them classes that teach them how to properly feed their kids. I imagine many don't know the dangers or how to handle situations where their kids don't want to eat what they put in front of them. Society has lost this parenting knowledge that is normally passed down. I believe that so many get defensive about it it because they just don't know how to handle it. There needs to be more resources.
Sigh. Kids can be very healthy and picky at the same time. Truly. I have identical twins. When small they were fed many different kinds of foods. As they grew, one became "picky" the other did not. So I have identical twins, raised the exact same way, with very different things they will eat. Their father is 50 years old, was definitely not coddled as a child, and has very similar food issues.
They are teenagers now. The picky one eats plenty of fruits and veggies - they just have to be raw. She eats plenty of protein - it just can't have sauces or be mixed with other things (so no soups, casseroles, sandwiches). A lot of it is texture related. At home it is very easy to prepare and accommodate this - I can set out cheese, turkey, and bread separately without making a sandwich, for example. On vacation, in restaurants we aren't familiar with, it is more complicated. For that week, I will usually let her order plain noodles, or mac and cheese, or whatever. I'm not going to fight her for a week's vacation - I just make sure she also eats some fruit or ask for a salad (no dressing) that she can eat the veggies out of separately. Since this is a vacation board, you are reading the questions people have about a week away from their usual places, and a week they'd prefer to not fight with their kids. This is no reflection on what the rest of the year looks like, so maybe, if you don't have a helpful response, just scroll on by next time.