As we move into a stage where the twins are eating more solid foods and finger foods, they are developing their own taste preferences at meal times. Occasionally, one twin has decided she didn’t want to eat what was offered, while the other gobbled it up. I was worried at first because everything they have done has been the same up until now. They are fed the same amount of milk in their bottles, they have about the same number of dirty diapers each day, the sleep and wake at the same times… But what do you do if one twin wants to eat the meal but the other doesn’t? How do you handle different food preferences among twins?
Twins aren’t the only picky eaters, I know. I’ve heard many moms vent about how their child just won’t eat what was prepared. With twins, as with most picky eaters, there are some strategies you can take that may make them more open to eating various foods.
1. Encourage child to help you plan & make the meal-choose the veggies at the store, wash the fruit, put the ingredients in the bowl, etc.
2. At mealtimes, let them play with their food & experience its texture, colors, and scents. A new food is something that needs to be explored. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers experience life through their 5 senses. They need a chance to squish their peas, poke at the fish, push their chicken around on their plate. I’ve found that you can also disguise the food and make it more appealing. For example, a toddler may not want to eat a tuna sandwich. But he might be open to trying a tuna sandwich cut into the shape of a star!
3. Introduce a new food with a favorite (something you know they will eat). I once knew a boy whose mother prided herself on the fact that he ate nothing but hot dogs and cheese sticks for a long time. But his picky preferences weren’t the death of him. If you serve the hot dog or cheese stick with something he isn’t a real fan of, chances are you can get him to nibble on the less favorite food. If not, at least he’s eating something.
4. Don’t provide an alternative. That’s why #3 is important. Your kids need to know that you are the one in charge, and if you make them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every time they refuse the healthy dinner recipe that you slaved in the kitchen over, you are sending the the message that this is ok behavior. They may get used to this and expect you to make them their own special sandwich, no matter what the meal is. So stay strong, be firm, and make sure there is at least one thing on the plate you know your child will eat .
5. Set a good example. If you are a choosy eater, your kids will see this and follow your lead. You can still be picky, just keep it from your kids 
. Show them that you eat a variety of foods, and maybe even be obvious about it. “Mmmm!!! I’ve never had ___ before, but I love it!”
Well, those are the strategies we use in our home to encourage healthy eating and trying new foods. There are some things that my big boy simply doesn’t like (onions, mushrooms, and avocados). But he eats pretty much everything else I feed him, or he will at least try it. Hopefully the twins will turn out to like healthy recipes as well!
Do you have a picky eater? How do you handle feeding him or her?
Your #3 is SO VERY KEY. I didn’t do this with my first and he is STILL a picky eater at 13. With my daughter we were much wiser and she is not picky at all. If you provide an alternative they will take it…always. This is how you end up with a child that will only eat chicken fingers. UGH!!!!
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Very true, thanks for reading!
Nikki
My 14 year-old son is a picky eater and he is driving me crazy. He hates seafood, eats meat one day and insists he’s a vegan on other days. And he only likes certain greens. The funny thing is, he wasn’t picky at all when he was little! ❓ Grrrrrr!
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Oh, man… Teenagers… I was one once so I know they can be difficult! I used to be a vegan if I didn’t like the dinner, but if it was pizza I’d be a vegan that can eat cheese and pepperoni, haha! Best of luck to you!
Nikki
Great tips! In our house, the rules are you have to try everything at least once before declaring you don’t like it. We don’t cater to what the picky eater wants but I do make an effort to be sure there’s at one thing at the meal that the picky eater for sure likes and can fill up on even if it’s just green beans or mashed potatoes.
That’s a great house rule! Thanks for reading 🙂
Nikki
Hmmm…is my son a picky eater? He’s 15 months now. I would say he does seem to prefer some foods over others. But he tends to eat some things sometimes and other times he won’t want to touch that particular food at all. He always eats the meat we give him and mostly the green leafy veggies like spinach and broccoli. I guess I might have a picky eater and I haven’t thought about it. He eats a lot most of the time (I feed him solids 3x a day) but the times he doesn’t I don’t worry so much because I’m still nursing him. Thanks for sharing these tips. Very good to know as he progresses and tries new things. I also wanted to thank you for linking up with us on the Mommy Monday Blog Hop. It really was a pleasure reading this post and connecting with you! I hope you enjoy the rest of your week! <3
Thanks for reading! Your little guy sounds like a great eater if he’s eating the green leafy stuff and meats. Those were the hardest for me to get my big boy to eat!
Nikki
These are great ideas! I was/am a very picky eater – and the apples don’t fall far from the tree. And none of them want to eat the same thing.
It’s totally annoying.
Can you help with that as well?
Thanks so much for linking up with us at the Mommy Monday Blog Hop. I hope that you link up week after week. I really love this post and so will pin it! I have also connected with you via blog lovin and and other social media avenue that i find in your side bar.
Have a great rest of the week!
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Thanks, Lisa! Ummm… I don’t know what to do about several picky eaters. I come from a family of 6 kids, and you just had to eat what was put in front of you. Two of my siblings are really picky, so we just ate the stuff they picked off! After a while it became a joke in my family: “You gonna eat that?” The picky eaters grew up to be regular, healthy adults so it’s not the end of the world if you’re picky about food!
Nikki
Hey Nikki! Good tips! I have one twin who is a little more cautious eater, and sometimes they will eat the food and other times not. I’m not too concerned because I am still breast feeding them. Thanks for the follow!
Thanks for reading!
Nikki
Confession: I tend to just prepare what I know they’ll eat to avoid a situation where they refuse the food I have spent ages cooking!
I know that’s bad, as variety is the spice of life, and it’s something I’m going to work on before it’s too late…
These are such good tips, thanks for sharing.
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Hmmm I’m not sure it’s bad. You’re a wise PeaceKeeper! 🙂 thanks for visiting!
Nikki